


The Writing On The Wall

by MIZUM0NO



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27063457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MIZUM0NO/pseuds/MIZUM0NO
Summary: Sequel to The Potions MasterIn which the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor struggles in the trials and tribulations of a relationship with the Potions professor, among other things, like the Chamber of Secrets being opened in Hogwarts.(The story will follow in accordance with the Chamber of Secrets, set in 1992-1993)
Relationships: Severus Snape/Reader
Comments: 42
Kudos: 234





	1. The New Normal

20th August 1992

Severus Snape had a feeling the new school year would be kicking off with a bad start. He was pessimistic, he knew, but even he could not deny the gut feeling that the year was _not_ going to start right. If it were, you would not be beside him then, barely able to hold your body up by yourself, panting from trying to even take a few steps around your quarters. Your quarters, which used to be spick and span, the bed always made, the books lying around organised in a tidy fashion, the armchairs aligned perfectly to the fireplace, and the clothes you owned folded neatly in your closet. But as Severus looked around, right then, it was the complete opposite of what it used to be. Picking up a copy of _Voyages with Vampires_ off the floor near your bed, he scrunched his nose as he carefully placed it back on your bookshelf. 

"You read Gilderoy Lockhart's books?" He was amused, to say the least. You huffed from where you were, still trying to catch your breath as you studied him leaning against your overflowing desk. 

"That's what—" your breaths were short, "—being stuck to a room all day—" it was getting harder to speak, "—does to a person."

Severus frowned slightly. After the near-death experience of falling off your broomstick nearly a month ago, Madam Pomfrey had mentioned that it would take quite a while for you to recover and be able to walk and run properly, but you had taken a much longer time than expected in your recovery process, which worried Severus, your designated caretaker. He was tracking your progress, and according to the Hogwarts' nurse, you should have been able to walk around from the dungeons up to the Great Hall by now. Instead, even walking from your bed to the fireplace had proved so difficult, it was draining the energy out of you. You knew this, of course, and you blamed yourself every night for dragging Severus into this mess, and your body for not cooperating with you. School was due to start soon, and you would prefer it if you did not have to get to your classes wheeled around in a wheelchair by the potions professor. 

"Maybe we should take a break. I shall get you some water," Severus suggested, but you shook your head furiously. 

"No, I have to do this. I don't want to be the teacher that the students _pity_ , or look down upon, just because of a stupid fall that was partly _my fault_."

"It's not your fault and you know it. Besides, no one is going to look down on you, not if I can help it," Severus growled. 

"Sev," your nickname for him made his heart flutter, "I chose to play that night. It partly was. I was greedy, but what's done is done. Now, will you help me move that armchair so I can use it for support?" 

He reluctantly shifted the piece of furniture over to you, and clutching it with all your might, you began to put one foot in front of the other. It was not easy, walking with brand new bones inside your body, so every step was painful and a milestone in itself. Heaving, you dragged your body forward, and rested against the armchair again. To think that you used to be one of the best Quidditch players around, able to weave in and out of the air seamlessly, whizzing past opponents at the speed of light...now, you are a fraction of what that person even was. Recovery was difficult, you knew, but if everyday continued to drag on like this one, you in endless pain, your room always messy because you could not possibly clean up at the rate in which you mess up, and having to rely on Severus for most of your daily activities, you were not even sure if it was worth it at all. 

"It's late, Sev. Go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." You attempted to dismiss him. It was barely past midnight, usually you and Severus would only sleep at around one or two in the morning, tired out from your activities before. But right then, if you had to see more of that pitiful look on his face, the pained expression he had on every time you had difficulties, it would kill you. And very fairly, only one of you needed to be the pitiful one. He was too good to you, and you felt bad that he had signed himself up as a caretaker, when his patient was as stubborn and agonising as you. 

"I can stay the night."

"No, you can't. I want to be alone tonight, please. I-I failed today, I don't want you to see me like this, see my room like this. Let's try again tomorrow." You were sweaty and exhausted, and cuddling with your lover did not seem like a very good activity to do right then. 

"You know you're always beautiful to me, nothing you do could convince me otherwise. "

"Please, Sev," you pleaded. He relented, but still moved forward to give you a peck on the lips, brushing some of the hair that had stuck to your face behind. _I don't deserve you_ , you thought as he helped you to sit on your bed, before taking out his wand to clean your room quickly. You thanked him, for even doing the slightest bit of magic nowadays meant that you would have no energy to even get out of bed. In fact, your wand had been kept with him ever since he found you lying across the floor, utterly knocked out, after trying to perform a cleaning spell for your room. From then on, you had to do tasks like an ordinary Muggle, and Severus had no idea how much that frustrated you. 

One good thing, though, was that nobody else could see you in the state you were in other than Severus. You had begged him not to let the other professors even check in or enter your room, the embarrassment too horrifying. You know they mean well, but frankly, you could not deal with the pitiful looks and _poor thing_ remarks Severus always had for you, coming from them too. Minerva, in particular, had demanded several times for him to let her in, worried that he had been starving you or in typical Severus fashion, ignoring your requests to see them whenever you wanted, when in reality, it was the opposite. Once, it even took Dumbledore to come down to drag her away from him, her telling him some very unkind things that he relayed to you later, which you laughed about as you lay your head on his chest. Eventually, the Headmaster was allowed into your room, which greatly helped Minerva ease her worries. He would visit once a week, heavily supervised by the potions professor, although you were not sure if it even had any effect on Dumbledore. 

Making sure you were alright and had everything you needed for the night, Severus gave you a final kiss on your forehead, before softly shutting the door. 

_Yes, you were difficult, but Severus would not have it any other way._

27th August 1992

"Gilderoy Lockhart arrives today," Severus said as he helped you up from your armchair. You could walk around more easily now, thanks to Severus' concern to Madam Pomfrey. The both of them had concocted a special potion to aid in your recovery, on top of your other medications, which had been very helpful in the past week. Now, on your good days, with Severus being your support, you could make your way around to the Great Hall and staffroom, which made sorting administrative methods way easier with the rest of the professors. On one of those good days, Dumbledore had announced that he was hiring the renowned author and wizard, Gilderoy Lockhart, to be your new fellow Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Considering the state you were in, you could not possibly handle the large volume of students as a single professor since Quirrell was gone, so you could not complain. Severus was a little irked at first, telling Dumbledore he had full trust that you were fine by yourself, but you assured him it was for the best, approving of the Headmaster's idea. 

"Is that so? Shall we be the ones to greet him when he arrives?" 

Severus sneered. "In your state? Not a chance. I don't want to be liable for scaring him away on his first day by having to carry you in my arms when you pass out from exhaustion."

You slapped his arm, but did not take his insult to heart. 

Gilderoy Lockhart's locks of golden blonde hair and handsome blue eyes could charm anyone into thinking he was a god, after all, he did look the part. Arriving fashionably late to the staff meeting, he was greeted by Filch when Flitwick could not be bothered to wait another hour for him, which was understandable. Shooting a look of disgust towards the caretaker, he adjusted his hair hurriedly before moving to the front of the room. 

He bowed, introducing himself before Dumbledore could. Severus already did not like him, you could tell. So in an attempt not to stir any more bad blood between him and future Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, you held his hand calmly under the table, as if to tell him not to show hostility towards the blond wizard. 

"Professors, as he said so himself, this is Professor Lockhart. He will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor (l/n)." Dumbledore was quick with his introduction, since almost everyone already knew who Lockhart was before he came to the school anyway. At the mention of your name, however, Lockhart scanned the room carefully, before Dumbledore pointed to you, the person he was looking for. 

His face visibly glowed as he beamed and skipped towards you. "Ah, thought I'd recognised you somewhere! You used to play Quidditch, with the err...Cannons right?"

"Falcons. Nice to meet you, Professor Lockhart." You outstretched your hand to shake his, and he gripped it with both of his, shaking it furiously. He seemed more excited in meeting you than all the other professors. 

"Right, right, sorry. Headmaster, you should have told me in your letter that my fellow Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher here is as pretty as a picture! My, am I lucky to be able to work with you or what?" He was speeding through his words, and hearing the compliment that slipped through his mouth, your face flushed. Severus, however, had tightened his grip on your thigh, clearly uncomfortable. 

"T-Thank you. Please, take a seat," you offered, pulling an empty chair beside you. He practically jumped with glee as he made his way over. Dumbledore carried on with the rest of his briefing, and before you knew it, it was time to leave. You still had a few lesson plans left to cover, so grabbing your things, you were about to stand before Lockhart stood in front of you. 

"Please, let me carry them. While I do so, would you be so kind as to show me around? It's been a while since I returned to this place, and..." he leaned in to whisper to you, "...You and I are fellow celebrities, should we not help each other out?"

"I have to—" you started, but Severus had cut you off. 

"Professor Lockhart, I have been appointed as your tour guide. We shall meet tomorrow morning at the break of dawn, not one minute late, remember," Severus' tone was slightly annoyed, but Lockhart did not notice. His face had fallen, a little disappointed that _you_ were not his appointed guide, but as he followed Dumbledore out to sign some final paperwork, he turned to you again. You were holding Severus' arm, ready to make your way back to the dungeons, but Lockhart did not seem to realise that you two were close. 

"No matter, I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast then, Professor Pretty!" He blew you a kiss before he left. Severus could hear you chuckle against his side, but he did not find Lockhart one bit as funny as you did. Minerva looked over at him sympathetically, but was grinning as well.

 _Yeah, the new school year was definitely off to a bad start,_ Severus thought.


	2. First Day

1st September 1992

Harry Potter was late. Very late. You were seated at the train station, Severus standing beside you protectively, because you wanted to welcome the first years along with Hagrid. Severus was not fully on board with the idea, but if it meant that he could spend more time with you, away from Lockhart, he would not mind it at all. Checking your wristwatch, you watched as the other students passed by the both of you, some saying hi to you before dodging Severus' murderous glare at them for coming too close to you. Hermione had gotten off, and when you asked if she saw either Ron or Harry, she claimed that she had not seen them in the train at all. She appeared slightly worried as well, so you reassured her that you would look for them in a little while, prompting her to head inside first. 

"They should've been here, with the rest by now. Neither one of their families wrote that they were withdrawing from the school, so what's happened?" You had a hand on your chin, thinking hard. Severus found it adorable, your thinking face, as he smiled internally. You were always too good to the students, too caring for them, while Severus seemed to be the opposite. He cared little for any disturbances in his classroom, any students' matters, only sending them straight to detention or taking away house points if they messed up in his classes. Occasionally, he would favour his Slytherin students, particularly Draco Malfoy, son of his friend Lucius, but ever since you said that the boy was always a little mischievous during your lessons, he had favoured him way less as well.

"It's getting cold. Let's go inside first. They'll be here soon enough," Severus assured you as he slowly put his hand on the back of your waist to guide you. You were reluctant to leave, but the last of the students from the Hogwarts Express had strolled out a few minutes ago, and there was still no sign of the boys. You were a little anxious, afraid that something had happened to them on the way. 

Making your way to the Great Hall, Severus was careful to remove his hands from you. Although it was almost unspoken that most of the students and staff knew that the both of you were together, you still did not want to flaunt it in front of them in case they came up with even more rumours. The both of you walked past the first years, with Minerva right in front of them. They looked so _innocent_ , doe-eyed, with most of their black robes still covering their feet, dragging across the floor as they walked. You smiled softly at them when they looked at you, but Severus must have had an aura of fear around him, because most of them immediately dropped the smile on their faces when they saw him behind you. 

"Ah, Professor Pretty, I've saved you a seat!" Lockhart's voice could be heard as soon as you made it up onto the High Table, and stealing a glance his way, you saw that he only had one seat left next to him, meaning that he did not want you sitting next to anybody else. Severus stiffened behind you, the incident from a few days ago still fresh in his mind. 

You were sharing your lesson plans with Lockhart in his office, even though he did not seem the slightest bit interested in them, instead busily unpacking his trunks full of his pictures and medals. As he carefully placed them up on the walls surrounding the desk, you could not help but feel a little perturbed as an army of Lockharts from the portraits smiled and winked back at you while you worked. Focusing solely on the stack of papers before you, you were about to try to get Lockhart's attention again when a piece of paper slipped out.

It was the list of books the students had to get for the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons for the year. You had originally only suggested two spell books and a textbook for each level, but Lockhart had personally added a list of his own books that he had published inside, totalling the cost of the books to be much, much more expensive. 

"Do they really need all five sets of your books as part of the curriculum? I reckon-" He cut you off before you could finish, causing you to grip the paper harder. 

"Of course, Professor! Any great wizard starts off their journey against the Dark Arts by reading _my_ books, which helps them to equip themselves with the skills they need, and of course, to remember _me_ as the greatest wizard could who could fight off the Dark Arts all by himself. I would be a..." he trailed off,"...a role model! Yes that was the word I was looking for." 

You struggled to hide a snicker, but in his haste of putting up the remainder of his medals and portraits, Lockhart did not even hear you. 

"Nevertheless, Professor, usually I charge _loads_ to sign my books for my readers. But for you, Professor _Pretty_ ," you were starting to dislike the nickname,"-I would do it all for free! And who would not love a man as generous and kind as I am? All the ladies _love_ me, Professor," Lockhart continued, but you were already prepared to leave. You had already shared what you needed to with him, and listening to him yap on and on about himself felt draining. 

Just then, there were two raps on the door, before Severus walked in. Lockhart was obviously a little annoyed that he had interrupted the both of you, but huffed and turned away. The potions professor handed you the potion he had made with Madam Pomfrey earlier, and you thanked him before taking sips of it. You dropped the topic before turning to leave with Severus, thankful he had come in to save you from Lockhart. But even as you left with your head leaning on the black-haired man's shoulder, you could still hear Lockhart calling out for you to visit his quarters any time you needed company. 

" _I_ am your company," Severus hissed. 

Severus' thoughts were cut off when he remembered something. You had already declined the blond man's offer, instead saving two seats beside Dumbledore, when Severus cut you off to retreat to his quarters. He needed to lock his private potions supply, forgetting to do so in his haste of making sure you had your potions on time. If any wandering first year or those Weasley twins got access to them, Severus was not sure he could hold himself back. Frustrated that he had to make the trip down to the dungeons again, he began to storm out of the room.

The potions professor was about to lock his office as well, when he spotted it. Right there, on the Evening Prophet, he found the answer to your worries.

The very same night, however, Severus had burst into your room, grumbling unhappily. He did not notice that you had been asleep, the events of the day totally tiring you out, but when he did, he felt his face fall. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have-" He turned to leave, but you, in one of his old shirts, and your hair a little messy, still grinned at him. He thought he could never get used to the way his heart skipped whenever he saw you in his old clothes. 

"No, come here. Tell me about your day, Sev." Your voice had been groggy. Severus did not even hesitate for a second, jumping into the space you had left on your bed, before continuing his rant about Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who had both conveniently escaped expulsion.

2nd September 1992

Due to a reshuffling of the teaching schedules, you were no longer in charge of the second year Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs, which was quite a bummer, considering the friendships you had forged with the students in the class. Lockhart, however, was gloating all about it during lunch. He mentioned of him meeting Harry Potter even before school started, claiming he had given the boy a taste of publicity, taught the boy a few tricks to handle fame, it was as if his mouth could not spend one second without talking about what a great influence he was on Harry. You were grateful for the chance to slip away from him quietly, heading earlier up to your lesson with the Slytherin and Ravenclaws.

It was not until you had calmly kept the last Cornish Pixie that you had used for the lesson with the Slytherin and Ravenclaws, that Harry and Ron showed up in your class. 

"I've missed you two, where were you yesterday?" You feigned innocence, although you knew exactly where they were, as Severus had put into great detail in his rant the night before. 

"W-we..." Harry started, but Ron could not be bothered for formalities. 

"Professor Lockhart's mad, Professor (l/n)! He brought in Cornish Pixies today," The boy yelped, but you brought up your own cage of pixies to show him, indicating that it was _your_ idea in the first place to bring them in for a practical lesson. 

"Your point being?" You challenged. Ron was flummoxed for a moment, before his expression turned sure. 

"But you could control them, could you? Made sure they were not...flying around, hurting people?"

"Ron, Cornish Pixies are non-threatening. If I hadn't known how to handle them, I wouldn't have dared step into the school as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Well, Lockhart doesn't know how to! _Hermione_ had to do his job for him!" Ron said, before pausing. "Speaking of, where _is she_?"

"Probably busy drawing little hearts around Lockhart's name on her timetable," Harry replied him. You sighed, the boys showing a clear indication that Lockhart definitely had not read your notes on the pixies last night before commencing the lesson, which explained why he could not handle them. _Were you always going to have to do the brunt of the work for Defence Against the Dark Arts?_

8th September 1992

Your injury had its good days and bad days, being a chronic one. On good days, you could walk around the castle with minimal help from Severus, having the energy to last the full school day without having to wince and sit down for most of your classes because your body could take no longer. On good days, you sometimes even had the energy to treat Severus to a little surprise after his long, hard day of teaching as well. He never forced you, but his heart swelled whenever you assured him that you did not mind, before getting down on your knees for him. 

Today, however, was a particularly _bad_ day. Everything hurt, from the toes of your feet up to the what seemed like the ends of your hair. Even rolling over in bed hurt. Severus had spent the night with you, so he instantly knew it was not a good day for you. He had tried his best, really, feeding you the potion he had concocted early, in an attempt to help alleviate the pain. But it did little to help when it got as bad as this. All you could do was wait it out, until it eventually passed, but it would often take a day at least to do so, and you had classes to teach. 

Clutching Severus' arm as you made your way to the bathroom, you were just about to step over the threshold when you felt it. _Just a little more, I can do this. I can do this, I can-_ you thought, before the pain overpowered them. It felt like all the muscles in your body were being stretched horribly, your bones cracked all over as well. Collapsing in Severus' arms, you groaned as you felt your body went limp. Clenching your teeth, you were not sure what came over you, but you felt hot, angry tears brim in your eyes. Was this what it felt to reach _rock bottom_? If you had told your past self that you would end up like this in a couple of years, you would have scoffed and completely dismissed the idea. But now, being barely able to hold yourself up to even walk the short distance of your bed to the bathroom, felt like a feat in itself. 

And so you wept. You wept against Severus' arms, and he was surprised, to say the least. He immediately proceeded to carry you in his arms, laying the both of you down back in your bed. 

"(y/n), what is it?" He said as he softly threaded his fingers into your hair, trying to calm you down. 

"I-it's just," it was hard to talk with the tears taking up most of your energy, "I-I used to be _great_ , a-a Quidditch player, a S-Seeker, for the _Falcons_. N-now look at me, I can't even get up to go to the bathroom by myself." There was an air of bitterness in your voice, and Severus could not help but hold you even tighter. His own heart hurt hearing those words come from you, and if he could, he wished he could take all the pain away from you. You did not deserve this, you did not deserve any of this. 

"Love, don't say that. You are strong, stronger than any of us. We all have our good days and bad, today, today is just a difficult day for you. You know I love you no matter what, right?" He kissed your forehead multiple times, to make sure _you knew how loved you were_. He continued this way, repeating reassurances in your ear until the tears stopped. He would do it until the end of time if it would make you feel better. You had to know how much he loved you, despite all your shortcomings and flaws. 

"You should go, you'll be late for breakfast, Severus."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll take leave for the both of us today. We'll stay in, you can read your books, I can catch up on my marking, how does that sound? Just-" he moved to kiss your cheek, "-the both of us," then your forehead, "-today," and finally, your nose, which made your heart race so much it was embarrassing. 

"I don't understand why you still put up with me. I'm so difficult, I push you away, I give you so much trouble...I'm basically trapped in a eighty year old's body, Sev," you mumbled against his chest, your face too red to look at him. 

"You could never be too much for me. I love you, just in case you forgot. The best part of me is you. You taught me how to love, so I am now applying it to you too, (y/n)." 

You felt like crying all over again.


	3. A Bad Feeling

8th September 1992

It was late when you heard a knock in your room. You had felt significantly better, with Severus fussing over you for the rest of the day. Standing from your comfortable position in your armchair, Severus arched an eyebrow as he watched you answer the door. Who you saw behind it, however, made you immediately gesture wildly with your face to head to your office, not wanting Severus to see. 

Silently locking the door connecting your office to your quarters, you hoped Severus would be occupied with his marking for a while longer, so that he would not try to look for you. When you were absolutely sure that he was not going to bother you for a while, you heaved a sigh of relief, before making your way to your office chair. 

"You three have to whisper. If Professor Snape hears a word out of any of you-"

"Professor Snape's _inside_?" Ron interrupted, but Hermione elbowed him so hard in the ribs, it took all he could not to keel over and double in pain. _Smart girl_. 

"Anyway," you were desperate to change the topic, "-what's brought the three of you here? I thought you were in Professor Lockhart's class."

"We are, we just wanted to come in and...check on you." Hermione tried to reason, but Harry was forward, much like the ginger-haired boy. 

"Ron's broken his wand. We were wondering if you had any spell to fix it." You took the broken piece of wood Ron sheepishly offered, inspecting it. Yeah, it was definitely irreparable. He would have to buy a new wand, but you were not sure how he was going to carry on with the rest of the year if he only waited until the following year to purchase one. There was nothing you could do. Sighing, you grabbed a roll of sellotape from your drawer, and the trio watched in horror as you taped it up to the best of your ability. 

"Ron looks paler than the both of you as well. What's gotten into him, besides _this?_ " You handed the boy his wand back, and he frowned as he waved it around, hoping the sellotape would hold. 

"A spell backfired, from his wand. He was cursing Malfoy for calling Hermione names. But Hagrid's got him all patched up, though," Harry replied. 

"Hagrid? You guys went to Hagrid too?"

"Yeah, he was talking about how Lockhart was not a very good teacher, too. But he was the only man for the job you see, something about the position being jinxed, or-OUCH!" This time, Ron exclaimed as Hermione hit him harder, and you shot a look towards the door, listening if Severus had heard. 

"I have heard, about the cursed position as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. But you have me, so you have nothing to worry about. If you have any questions, just come to me, my door's always open." You smiled, but the thought of Lockhart being the one to teach those children sent shivers down your spine. He was definitely not qualified, but Hogwarts was taking all they could get. 

After a round of tea and biscuits, you set the three of them off to bed, their moods considerably better, but Ron still upset about his wand. You promised him you would find a substitute for it if he were ever in your lessons, so he was not missing out, but he groaned when he realised that he _would not be_ in any of your lessons until the end of the year. 

Heading back to your quarters, Severus had finished up his marking and had settled in front of the fireplace, his beautiful black locks framing his face perfectly in front of the orange glow. You curled up next to him, sighing at his warmth when he wrapped his arm around your torso. 

"You should have told those three that _Professor Snape_ could hear them talking poorly of _Draco Malfoy_ as well," he grunted.

You chuckled. "Oh Sev, stop eavesdropping on us, would you?"

1st October 1992

There was a flu bug going around the school. Funny, as powerful as wizards were, the most powerful of them were still not immune to a cold, partly caused by the rainy and damp season of October. One such wizard, was in front of you then, sneezing loudly. Severus' nose was scarlet, and his incessant ranting was distracting you from the task that you were doing. 

"That Longbottom child, with his sneezing and coughing wherever he went, you would think that he thought to bring something to cover his mouth when he sneezed. But no, of course he didn't. And that is why, I, the potions master of this school-"

"Severus!" You scolded, but he was ignoring you. "I cannot possibly read these instructions and add the correct ingredients to your potion with you like this. So unless you want to drink a potion that would cause your mouth to not be able to utter a word instead, I would advise you not to disturb me while I work."

"That would be favourable for that Ron Weasley boy, always-" He replied sharply, but you crossed your arms in front of him, not believing that he did not heed a word of what you said. 

"Severus!" This time, he glared at you, before shutting up. You shook your head, before continuing to scrutinise the ingredient list for the Pepperup potion Madam Pomfrey had given you. Adding the last drop of ethanol into the mix, you began to stir, with Severus watching curiously at you. He initially denied that he had the flu, muttering _I never get sick_ more times than you could count. But when the sneezes and coughs got more frequent, and his temperature shot up so high your own hand felt like it was burning, you forced him to admit it, or that you were not going to help him. 

"Ridiculous. _I_ should be the one taking care of you. Never the other way around," he would say, but you discovered that if you shut him up with your lips fast enough, he would stop complaining for the day. And so the situation unfolded to what it was then, him seated on his armchair, in front of the fireplace that you lit, which was extra warm for him, while you worked on a potion to make him feel better. He had the Daily Prophet clutched in his hands, but you knew his eyes were nowhere on the words in front of him, instead watching you. You were not sure if he was busy checking you out or ensuring you were not poisoning him. 

You made your way over to him once you were done, sitting on his lap as he drank the potion. Stroking the stray strands of his hair behind his ear, you realised he looked so warm, so handsome, illuminated by the orange of the fire. Being with him melted away your troubles and worries, even if it was just for that moment. Secretly, you wished he would get sick like this more often, giving you excuses to take care of him and giving the excuse that he needed body heat to recover, which was why you wanted to cuddle even more. Leaning in to peck him on the cheek once he was done, you exhaled comfortably as he wrapped his arms around you slowly.

21st October 1992

"And so all I did was smile my biggest, brightest smile, and _poof_ , they disappeared! Amazing isn't it?" Lockhart was nudging your arm, obviously looking for your attention, but you only smiled politely at him before turning your attention back to Flitwick. The Ravenclaws were having a Quidditch practice that day, and Severus had ordered for you to not be the only teacher there. Of course, the Ravenclaws themselves did not trust him to be there, so you suggested Flitwick, to which he begrudgingly agreed to. But seeing that you were from Ravenclaw as well, Lockhart immediately took the opportunity to accompany you, much to Severus' chagrin.

Lockhart, as you grew to knew, was as useless as Quirrell. He could not teach, instead spending most of his lessons bragging about himself and his achievements to students who frankly did not care very much. This affected you, of course, because _those_ students would be the ones that would look for you late at night for you to teach them the concept he had failed to cover, which meant that you had less free time, as well as time with Severus. Even the first years, who did not know you very well, were advised by their seniors to consult you, and although you loved to help, you really felt that you were carrying the burden of the whole Defence Against the Dark Arts subject again. 

"Are you and Professor Snape close or something? I, for my life, could not _imagine_ being friends with that man. So dark and gloomy, and he's mean!" Lockhart turned to you, his expression serious. Flitwick snickered beside you, and you tried to elbow him, but missed. 

"You could say that," Flitwick answered for you when you took too long. Lockhart gave a look of disgust, as if not believing his ears, before turning away. It was obvious the Quidditch was not interesting him at all, for he had only tagged along so he could flirt with you. You paid him no mind, though, and continued to cheer for the team. 

31st October 1992

Halloween came around, and as usual, the castle was decked floor to ceiling with Halloween-themed decorations. Anyone who walked past the kitchens could smell the enticing fragrance of the pumpkin pies being baked, and everywhere you turned, the colours orange and black would be all that you saw. Dumbledore had booked a troupe of skeletons to perform at dinner, and you practically skipped to the Great Hall after your last class of the day, Severus at your side, amused at your antics. 

He however, had a bad feeling. It was unusual, the tugging at his gut. Severus never had experiences like those happen before, but following your injury last year, it was as if his body had accustomed to sensing when something was amiss. He was used to looking out more for you during those times, paying more attention than he usually did. You did not notice, of course, but Severus always seemed to know when something bad was going to happen before you did. 

And he was right, because right after dinner, when the students started filing out of the hall in high spirits, something happened that made them all stop in their tracks. Severus, annoyed by the blockage and desperate to take you to his room for the night, shoved through them, trying to see what it was that caused the students to behave in such a manner. You followed him, moving to the front of the crowd, when what you read made your heart stop. 

The Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Severus took a sharp inhale, and you gasped at the sight of Filch's cat petrified. The trio were right in front, their jaws all tightened and faces white as well. You moved forward, pulling all three of them back in case anything else happened. They complied, their bodies still ridden with shock. Draco Malfoy had pushed to the front of the crowd, and grinned at the sight. 

"Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Apparently, those were his last words before you smacked him so hard he passed out right then. Although, barely anyone noticed, their eyes all transfixed on the words upfront. 

Filch, hearing Malfoy's scream, was attracted to the noise, before his own face drained of colour as he saw his cat dangling precariously, petrified. His face burst into fury, before running to grab Harry, accusing him of her murder. You instinctively stood in front of the boy, trying to reason with Filch that a twelve year old could never had done it, that the cat was not Harry's doing, but the man was livid. 

"Argus!" It was Dumbledore that managed to get him to calm down. In two quick strides, he picked the cat up, before instructing for the trio, as well as Filch, to meet him privately. You and Severus followed, with the rest of the teachers, to Lockhart's office. Severus instinctively put a hand behind the small of your back when you were in the clear, as if protecting you. You smiled comfortingly at him at the gesture. It really was the little things that mattered most. 

It must have been an hour of Filch arguing with Dumbledore back and forth, trying to accuse Harry of the cat's situation. Sprinkled with Lockhart pretending he knew all the spells he did at the time, it was enough to cause you a headache at the situation. You had heard of the Chamber of Secrets from your previous teammates at the Falcons, saying how only the heir of Salazar Slytherin could open it, but you had all thought it was a myth. After all, the story was told on one of the nights where all of you decided to get blackout drunk after winning a match. But right then, with the situation unfolding, you realised that it could not be more real, with how Dumbledore was acting. 

Severus was getting annoyed at Filch too. So when Filch yelled for about the fourth time about Harry knowing he was a Squib, he stepped in, saying the boy and his friends were at the wrong place at the wrong time. But of course, it wouldn't be Severus fashion if he did not cause trouble for the boy, that even though they were at the clear, he still suggested that Harry be removed from the next Quidditch match as Gryffindor's Seeker. You did not need Minerva's glare at him and Dumbledore's raise of eyebrows to tell him his proposal would not be approved. So when he returned to your side after the rejection, seething, all you could do was rub his back gently, comforting him. 

It was not until Lockhart suggested to be the one to make the potion to revive Mrs Norris did Severus nearly lost it. Reminding Lockhart of his place, you grinned triumphantly to see him stand up for himself, before shooting a look at the disappointed Lockhart figures all over the walls. He had done it to impress you, you knew, but you could not be bothered. No, not when the potions master himself was yours. 

"I'll help you take the edge off tonight if you let Lockhart go. How's that sound?" You whispered to him as Dumbledore wrapped up the meeting, and Severus could feel something start to ignite his senses down below.


	4. The Past Haunting

4th November 1992

It was the first Quidditch match of the season. The Slytherin team marched out of the stands proudly, with the brand new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones in their hands, all paid for by Lucius Malfoy, of course. You never liked the man, his name bringing a sour taste to your mouth when you thought of him. It was justified, of course, after what he did to your family. Coming from a family of Slytherins, you _knew_ what kind of company the Malfoy's were. Of course, your own parents were under The Dark Lord's influence, with you narrowly escaping his wrath because you were the first in the family to be sorted into a different house. 

You could still remember the Howler you received on the first day of school. How disappointed your parents were, how they considered withdrawing you from the school, how never _in a million years_ would they imagine their pure-blood daughter to land in a different house other than Slytherin. Dumbledore had to personally write to them to request not withdrawing you from Hogwarts, but of course, while they agreed, things were never the same. _It was not even my fault_ , but they acted as if they had done something terribly wrong in your upbringing, to land you in Ravenclaw. It was no matter, because they had joined the Death Eaters shortly after, but never mentioned they had a daughter. You rarely ever saw them, spending most of your breaks in Hogwarts, and when you did return, the house would often be empty, your parents elsewhere, doing things you wished you never knew of. Considering how poorly they treated you, it was a surprise that you were headstrong enough to push through, to achieve the best results in your OWLs and NEWTs, to become the best Seeker Ravenclaw's had in years, and to be scouted straight after school for professional Quidditch. Perhaps it was the sense of still wanting to _impress_ them somehow, show them that not being in Slytherin did not mean that they should love you any less, or letting them know that Ravenclaw was just fine as well, but you would never admit it. You got along fine without them, so it was no reason to want to even reconnect with them after graduating. You bought your own house with the generous first salary Quidditch paid you, found the right people to be with, and never looked back. Your parents never reached out, either, so you did not even know if they had survived the war, or were in Azkaban, or perhaps already six feet under. _A shame, an embarrassment!_ Your mother would call you every chance she got, while your father could not even look you in the eye whenever you came home with the dark blue robes you had on, with the shiny Prefect badge with the eagle and not the snake on it. Sometimes, perhaps it would have been better if you never knew them, since they basically acted as if you were nonexistent the day you entered Hogwarts.

Lucius Malfoy probably knew who you were, he was undoubtedly smart that way. Nothing could get past him, but if he recognised you in the rare times he visited the school, he did not say anything. You knew your parents were rather close to him, but you did not dare ask him about them, afraid of the complications it would cause. No, life was good now, better than ever. You did not want to dig up old wounds. 

It was only when a deafeningly loud _WHAM_ was heard, that you managed to pull yourself out of your thoughts. Harry Potter had been hit by a Bludger, spiralling through the air wildly. You winced, knowing that _that_ definitely hurt, you had been hit with it all too many times in your years as a Seeker. But strangely, the Bludger came back for a second attack. Bludgers never do that. You watched as it narrowly missed Harry, and in the midst of avoiding it, he spotted it. The weather was rainy and visibility was low, but it definitely was the Snitch. He took a risky manoeuvre to dive for it, but fell as soon as his hands clasped around it.

The Gryffindor Seeker landed with a thud, before all the mud splattered across his figure. You and Lockhart stood up at the same time, being the teachers closest to the scene, but he only grinned at you as you walked past him, telling you that he got it, but you ignored him anyway. Running towards the boy, Oliver Wood could be seen merrily hugging Fred Weasley as well, before joining you beside the boy who had fallen. His injury was not serious, probably only a broken arm, so taking out your wand, you were about to give him something to alleviate the pain until you could guide him to Madam Pomfrey, when Lockhart appeared. 

"Let me." He stood proud, and you and Harry started to protest, but he had done it. With a swish of his wand, he directed it to Harry's arm and you instantly knew it was a mistake letting him do the spell. 

"You deboned his arm! You did not fix it, you made it worse! Now Madam Pomfrey's got to spend the night regrowing the bones she could have mended in seconds, all because of you!" Severus was physically restraining you from Lockhart outside the hospital wing. You were going for his throat, with how angry you were. He could only smile sheepishly as you continued your rampage, but seeing the red on your face and neck, he knew he was in it for a long night of you chewing him out. _Useless! Absolutely useless, this man! He does more harm than good, and he still has the cheek to smile at me? I should debone him as well, that's what!_

Severus secretly smiled, knowing that he was not alone in his disdain for the blond professor. He deserved it, but for the sake of yours and Hogwarts, a murder would not look very good on your track record. So all he could do was hold you back, while you continued spitting curses and insults at Lockhart. 

"I never knew you had it in you to curse him out like that," Severus said as he made tea for the night, you still seething in his armchair. It was inappropriate, but he found you insanely attractive when you were mad, and knowing it was because of someone he did not like as well, felt even better. You had your arms crossed by your chest, glaring at him when he smiled with amusement. 

"The audacity! To even claim he was a master against the Dark Arts! When he pulls a mistake _like that!_ He deserves to be the one that has to spend the night regrowing his bones, with how much I want to break them!" You were not done with your ranting, and Severus decided it would be best to let you let it all out, before he would become the subject of your anger too. Standing by the doorframe, he watched as you continued, only nodding at certain points to show you he was still listening. 

_Even with a temper like that, I cannot believe I am still so madly in love with her._

5th November 1992

You were on your way up to the hospital wing to visit Harry, when a rush of footsteps could be heard. Turning around, you saw that it was Dumbledore and Minerva, carrying a...was that the first year that always had a camera around? He looked absolutely horrible, his eyes wide open, but no expression was behind those pupils of his, and his jaw was slack, as if the mere action of screaming drained the life out of him. 

"What happened?" You asked as you followed them inside, calling out for Madam Pomfrey while they heaved him up on the bed. Dumbledore was silent for a while, contemplating whether or not to tell you and Minerva. While waiting for him to do so, you wrenched the camera free from the boy, trying to see if it was salvageable. It's lens was cracked, and the flash was damaged but- _oh my god_. Hurriedly opening the back to try to see the exposed film, Madam Pomfrey exclaimed when a jet of steam hissed out. _The photos themselves were burnt_. 

This finally made Dumbledore confirm his suspicions. He turned to you and Minerva, his expression grim.

_The Chamber of Secrets really has been opened._

7th November 1992

News of Colin Creevey's state had spread around the school like wildfire. Everyone was slightly unnerved, the first years more so than anyone else. As a precaution, when you felt particularly stronger that day, you would walk them to their following classes, which did make them feel a little safer. The whole school was on edge, and even the professors were a little perturbed that something like this could happen at Hogwarts, of all places. Still reeling from the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets being opened, you spent the next few nights poring over all the books in the restricted section of the library, finding out all that you could about it. It was horrifying, what happened the last time it opened. If what happened previously were to happen now, you were not sure you were prepared for it, to be able to protect the students should an attack happen again. 

A solid manifestation of how on edge everyone was, was when you spotted a dark red amulet hanging from the robes of a third year one day. You were walking up and down the class, watching as they took a pop quiz, when you saw it. Grabbing it before she could hide it, you found out, through reluctant stares and hushed whispers, that the students had begun bringing talismans, protective devices and amulets wherever they went. They were afraid of who was going to be next to get petrified like Colin Creevey did, and the Muggle-borns in particular, looked like they were going to faint when you threatened to confiscate them. 

"There is a whole trade of amulets and protective devices among the students, you know," you told Severus one night, while he was busy making the potion for your injury. He shook his head, not believing the students would be as foolish as you said, but he realised you were serious when your worried look did not go away even after he reassured you they were fine. There it was again, Severus knew your care for the students bordered on excessive, but to see you this concerned, meant you really thought it was a serious threat.

"I...We...can look out for them more, I guess. I'll bring it up to Dumbledore," he resigned, and though it did not completely calm you, you were thankful for his efforts to do so. Deep down, you knew he cared, he really was the one with the bigger heart, but he would never admit it.

19th December 1992

December went as smoothly as it could, with no further attacks, thankfully. The school had calmed down significantly, and though most of the students and staff had gone home for the holidays, some stayed, including you and Severus. 

"Haven't you got any family...back home?" He asked one night. It was a touchy subject for you, he knew, but he was curious. In the time that you were his student, he never heard of your family much as well, not that he paid any particular attention. You were from Ravenclaw, and anyone who was not from Slytherin, he could not bother getting to know. But he did remember seeing you stay behind for Christmas and Easter breaks last time as well, which further proved his suspicions that you and your family were not on good terms. 

You took a break from your marking to look up at him. Keen to avoid the question, you instead smiled, and moved over to sit on his lap, bringing his lips to yours. Your lips grazed his gracefully, the feeling of him intoxicating. Moving slowly to the base of his throat, you chuckled as he squirmed. It was effective in shutting him up, the both of you knew. Still, this time, he was not in the mood to let you go so easily. 

Easily moving your body up to face him, you were shocked at the sheer strength he had and how effortlessly he could do it. Once again reminded of the size difference the both of you, you bit your lip, a coil forming at the base of your stomach. He noticed, but remained firm. 

"Did you hear me?" He pushed. 

"Loud and clear, my love."

"So tell me, about your family. I want to know," he voiced. You groaned, mulling over what to tell him. You were definitely not in the mood to start explaining your entire family history to him, making him pity you, or worse, look at you in disgust when you tell him that you were the only one in your entire family tree to be sorted into Ravenclaw, ruining thousands of years worth of bloodlines being in Slytherin. The thought of him _almost_ having a Slytherin as his girlfriend, which could not have been more perfect for him, but instead ending up with a Ravenclaw. 

"There is nothing to know. My father was a shop assistant, my mother a barmaid. They met when my father visited the bar, and had me. They are really busy people, so I don't visit them often." You hoped your lie was convincing enough, praying that Severus would not push further. He seemed satisfied enough, though you could never know with him, his thoughts always getting to the better of him. Reclining, he sighed. 

"Would you...take me to meet them, someday? You know, tell them who I am?" His face was bright red, his eyes looking everywhere but yours. _Merlin, he was shy. And is he really asking what I think he's asking?_

You laughed, he must have been joking. But he turned to you now, his eyebrows furrowed, clearly insulted. 

"Wait, are you serious?" _A gentleman, he still wants to meet my parents so that I could tell them we were together._ What have you done to deserve him?

"Forget it. I-Forget I ever asked." He tried to push you off of him, his ears now redder than ever, but you clung on. You did not mean to embarrass him like that, but it caught you off-guard, his request. 

"I...Sev, my parents, they are not the nicest people. I don't want to put you through the trouble of having to make them like you. I love you, and that is enough for me. Though..." You drifted off, piquing his interest. "One day, when we _do_ get married, I would invite them. Let them meet the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with, how does that sound?"

Severus felt his heart soar at your words. _Marriage._ It had definitely crossed his mind before, but after what happened with Lily, and realising the fragility of relationships, he dared not imagine that with you. _Just accept each day as it goes,_ he would think, not wanting to pressure you into something he was not even sure you believed in. But right then, with you telling him that you saw the both of you _married_ , meant more to Severus than he could ever imagine. _She really thinks that highly of me, oh Merlin_.

He moved forward to capture your lips against his again. 

20th December 1992

Still humming from happiness from the night before, you had a spring in your step as you walked to the staffroom to handle the last bit of administrative issues for the year. Passing by the Great Hall, you were reminded of the event Severus had ranted to you about a few days prior. _Lockhart's duelling club_. 

Checking your wristwatch, you realised you still had a bit of time left for the night. You decided to enter, wanting to see Severus duel with Lockhart, though you already knew who would win. Hiding out of plain view by the side of the golden stage, you could already see the crowd of students chatting animatedly, waiting for the session to start. 

Lockhart stepped forward, and the crowd immediately went silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted you, and gave you a charming wink. You said nothing, ignoring him. He began to introduce himself, ceremoniously drawing more attention to himself, which he spent nearly ten minutes doing, before actually beginning. 

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape." Big mistake, calling Severus his assistant. You grinned, already imagining what Severus looked like below the stage at the name Lockhart called him. The blond wizard definitely had it coming for him. Severus walked over, his upper lip curling. _Poor Lockhart_ , you thought as you braced yourself. 

Sure enough, with the first spell of Expelliarmus, Lockhart was sent flying to the corner of the room. The Slytherins cheered, and you silently cheered for Severus as well. Lockhart attempted to explain himself, but everybody knew, he was simply no match for Severus. The potions professor glared at him once more, and this time, Lockhart noticed. He gulped, before calling for volunteers, clearly not wanting to duel with the black-haired professor anymore. 

Draco Malfoy and Harry faced each other, then. Severus leaned in to whisper something to him, and you so wanted to help Harry too, but you did not want to show your clear favouritism over the Slytherin boy.

Clearly, you should have, though. Because Malfoy had summoned a snake, and Severus was using it to embarrass Harry, volunteering to get rid of it for him. Lockhart moved to help the Gryffindor, but in his attempt to do so, he only sent the snake flying into the air, threatening the Hufflepuffs when it landed. 

Harry stepped forward, and you were half expecting him to cast Impedimenta, to allow Severus to help him. You remembered teaching it to him yourself, in his first year, and he listened with rapt attention as you did. So if he did it perfectly then, you would not even think of it as a cowardly act, since you knew the snake had caught him off guard as well. But what he did next shocked not only you, but apparently the whole room as well. 

The boy spoke in Parseltongue.


	5. Severus’ Birthday

20th December 1992

Time seemed to slow as the whole room watched Harry speak to the snake, willing it not to attack Justin Finch-Fletchley. It curled its body upwards, as it faced Harry then, before slowly slithering away from the Hufflepuff. You had moved out of the shadows, watching the scene unfold. As Harry successfully got the snake to move away, Justin did not show one sign of gratefulness on his face, because at the same time you realised the implications of Harry being a Parselmouth, so did everyone in the room. He scolded Harry angrily, before storming out of the hall. 

Severus proceeded to get rid of the snake, but his look towards Harry was still shrewd, calculating. _How could it be, a Gryffindor, being a Parselmouth?_ You would have thought that you were mistaken, but with everyone reacting the way they did when Ron pulled Harry out of the room, you knew that it had definitely happened in the way you saw it. Severus shot a quick look at you, as if to beckon you outside for a moment, and you followed, ignoring Lockhart's pleas to help him clean up after what had happened. Even he was scared, which raised the severity of the situation. 

"Do you think he-" You asked as you moved past the students to get to Severus. He was still rushing forward, clearly not wanting your conversation to be interrupted. 

"He could not have been the one to open the chamber. I am sure of it," he affirmed, but of course, he could not deny himself the strangeness of a _Gryffindor_ being able to speak Parseltongue. James and Lily were both from Gryffindor, so it would not make sense, even. He turned to you, his expression unreadable. "However, as I have come to know, nothing is certain about that Potter boy. It would do us a little good to watch out for him more."

24th December 1992

It was Christmas Eve. You and Severus had decided to spend the night at yours, the celebration being rather small due to the whole castle being on guard not only because of the Chamber of Secrets, but of Harry as well. There was a small Christmas tree by your desk, with only two presents below it, both you and Severus'. He went through the extra effort of carefully picking a gift for you this time, not wanting a repeat of last year, which he had not stopped feeling guilty about. Just as you were about to cuddle up to his side, while he hummed softly in your ear, two raps on your door could be heard. Severus told you to ignore it, that whoever needed to see you could do so tomorrow, but you, never wanting to disappoint anyone, got up anyway. 

It was Harry. Looking out to the hallway, you realised that he was alone. Quirking an eyebrow, you motioned for him to join you in your office, before telling Severus that you would be quick. 

"A-are you busy, Professor?" His hands were clutched tightly, and he looked wary. 

"No, not at all. Please, sit, Harry. Do you want a cup of tea?" He nodded, and you proceeded to get one from your room, giving him the tea that Severus had prepared earlier, which was supposed to be yours. He drank it gratefully, as the warmth coursed through his body. Visibly relaxing, he began to voice his worries. What he heard in the library, what the Hufflepuffs thought of him, and how everyone believed that he was the heir of Slytherin. It had gotten to him, and he did not want Ron and Hermione to be involved as well, afraid that they, too, would think he was. 

"They call me a dark wizard, Professor. You are familiar with the Dark Arts, d-do you think that's true?"

You wondered how to approach this. "No, I don’t, Harry. You have been an excellent wizard, and you don't show any indication that you would be part of the Dark Arts, don’t you? You defeated Professor Quirrell yourself last year, and that is a mark of a great wizard if I have ever seen one."

He smiled shyly. "I-I didn't..."

"The rest of the school is afraid because we always fear what we don't understand, Harry. It is not your fault, after all, considering your family."

In an attempt to change the subject, the boy instead directed the conversation back at you. He needed to take his mind off things, off the doubt of himself, even. "T-then what about your family, Professor? How are they like?"

_They are absolutely horrible people. They could not care less about anyone other than themselves, and only served the The Dark Lord to rid of everyone except pure-bloods in the world. Cleansing themselves of shame, shame their daughter has brought, of course._

"They...are good people. They were busy, so I never saw them much as a child, but...they were there. I haven't seen them in a while," you said, and then, as an afterthought, "I miss them." 

"I miss mine too, Professor." Your heart clenched hearing his words, and you reached out to wrap an arm around his shoulder. He came to you gratefully, and you wondered, really wondered, if the heir of Slytherin could ever do something like this. The boy was out of suspicion to you, that was for sure. 

"I trust you a lot, Professor. That was why...I came. I'm sorry if I disturbed your night with..." He looked warily to the door. 

"It's alright, Potter. Never apologise for coming to me. I am here for you."

"I...I think of you like a mother, sometimes, and that is not alright, because you are my professor, but," he looked like he was going to cry, "I've never had a mother, and I miss her so much."

You were not sure how to answer him. Looking down sympathetically, you ruffled his hair a little, before deciding. "I may not be your real mother, Harry, but I will look out for you, always. You can always rely on me. Anything you need, I will try my hardest to help you. Does that sound alright?"

He nodded, hugging you tighter.

It was later in the night, however, that things got impossibly worse. You were curled up in Severus' arms, panting, and he too, had his heart beating impossibly fast. Shared kisses, words of _I love you's_ were exchanged as you moved languidly between the sheets, and when you both finished, you could not feel any closer to the man you loved.

Minerva pounded on your door, claiming that the Chamber of Secrets had claimed their next _two_ victims. You and Severus looked at each other, disbelieving. _The heir is going for two at a time now?_

You hurriedly dressed, before opening the door for her to come in. Minerva paid no mind to the dark figure of Severus under the sheets, moving straight to your office, clearly distraught. She threw herself onto the armchair, awaiting for you and Severus to join her. 

"The boy couldn't have done it," you started, but it seemed like Minerva had cleared him off too. 

"I sent him to Dumbledore. He must believe that too, right?" She was cautious. 

"I have faith in him. He would know best. Although, I would expect a larger surge of students taking the Hogwarts Express tonight. Considering...everything." Severus walked in then, settling himself beside the Gryffindor Head of House. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, but he too, was worried as well. 

"Have we got any extra precautions we should take? For the muggle-borns? Or half-bloods?" You continued, but Minerva shook her head. "Okay, I shall consult Dumbledore tomorrow, but for the meantime, I think we should keep an extra eye on them, to be safe."

"You don't think they would attack any of us next, would you, Minerva? The professors, I mean." It was Severus' turn to speak. 

"I wouldn't know. (y/n), you don't happen to be a muggle-born, do you? Perhaps we need to start looking out for you too," Minerva attempted to joke, and you cracked a grin. 

"I can take care of myself just fine, Minerva. And no, my parents were pure-bloods, and so am I." 

The night went on, with you and Severus calming the woman down, assuring her that things were going to be just fine, and with her trying to figure out ways to protect the students as well. It was late when she left, nearly sunrise, but you did not mind. It was Christmas Day, and you intended to spend it as relaxingly as you could. 

9th January 1993

A few weeks had passed since the last attack. You had spent the new year with Severus, thankful for some time with only the both of you. Life could not have been better, all thanks to the man that was laying beside you right then, his arm protectively draped over your stomach. It was his birthday, and you had spent the past two weeks preparing for it, wanting him to know how _loved_ he was, how much you cared about him. It had not been easy sneaking out away from him, since you two were practically everywhere together (which was his idea, he was so, so clingy to you after the accident), but in the rare times that you did, you had finally decided on a present for him. Having spent much of the past two weeks in Flitwick's office, anyone would have thought that he and you were the school's new power couple, but alas, there was practically nobody left at Hogwarts during the break, so you two were uninterrupted as you learned the very charm that you wanted from him. Carefully casting it on the box that held his present the night before, you were glad when it came out perfectly, your practice paying off. 

You woke him up with kisses all over his face, his favourite type of kisses. Hearing his low laugh as your lips tickled his skin, your stomach erupted with butterflies at the sound of his voice. 

"Sev, come on, it's your special day, you _have_ to get up." You struggled to get him to sit up, with him locking his arms on your back to pull you closer to his whenever you did so. 

"What special day? It's a Tuesday, sweetheart." _He was joking._

"It's your birthday, forgetful boy. And I really have a lot of things planned for today, and part of it includes you waking up _right now_." At your words, his eyes went wide, as if the realisation just dawned on him. _My birthday?_ He had gotten so used to not celebrating it ever since he was a child, his own parents skipping it so many times, that he even forgot about it eventually. On the rare times that he did remember, he would only have a small treat for himself, in the form of a butterbeer or a trip down Hogsmeade. He never told anyone, so it was a surprise that you remembered. Perhaps he had let it slip in one of your conversations?

You, on the other hand, were stunned. _How could he...forget his own birthday?_ "Severus! Did you really forget?"

"I...I just never thought to celebrate it. I didn't realise it would be a big deal." He shrugged, trying to play it off, but you had made up your mind. 

"Okay, starting this year, you are never going to forget it ever again, not when you're with me. I want to make the day special for you, Sev, because you deserve good things, and," you moved to heave his body off the bed, and this time, he complied, "You are the best thing that's happened to me, so yeah, your birthday is a pretty big deal."

Severus could never, in a million years, believe how lucky he got, to have you. "You are the best birthday present I could ever have, you know that."

"Don't get all mushy with me now, it's my job for that today." You presented him with the box, and he fiddled it with his fingers, trying to feel what was inside. You were sitting on his lap then, eager for him to open it. He shot a look towards you, before unwrapping it. When he did, however, he felt his breath get knocked out of his lungs. It was a pair of rings. 

You had to explain yourself quickly, in case you frightened him off with the idea of marriage so early. "I-I'm not asking you to marry me. These are not wedding bands, I promise. But with all that has happened lately, I just thought, losing you would be the scariest thing that could happen to me. And...and we were talking about marriage a few weeks ago, and I know that should not happen so early, especially with this whole Chamber of Secrets issue, but I couldn't help but think, that I want to be with you for a long, long time. I would not have been able to stay this calm and deal with everything that's going on without you by my side. So," you moved to take out one of the rings, the bigger one, "This is sort of a promise. A promise ring. I promise that I would be by your side, no matter what, through thick and thin. You will always have me, promise."

You slipped the ring onto his finger, and he watched as the rays of sunshine hit it, illuminating the white gold brightly. He raised it up to the light to inspect the details of the ring, when he felt it. There was a slight rhythm on his finger, and he was about to ask you what was causing it when he realised that it was one he had memorised so well by then. Spending so many nights falling asleep to the sound of it, he realised, that you had cast your _heartbeat_ onto the ring, allowing him to feel it with him at all times. It was soft, barely noticeable, the rhythm, but it was there. Severus looked to you then, and you were smiling at him. 

"You can tune it off if it becomes too annoying. You see." You softly rubbed the base of the ring, and immediately, the rhythm stopped. He missed the feeling of it right away. "I...I thought it would be a nice touch, you know, so we would always be with each other, even if we were not."

You were about to say more, but you were interrupted with his lips crashing to yours. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," He murmured, your present making his head spin. He could not find the right words to say, what you had given meaning so much to him. You always had a way to make him fall deeper for you, and today was one of those days. He carefully slipped the smaller one into your finger, and you sighed in happiness upon hearing his racing heart. As he moved to drag you back down to the bed, planning on thanking you in another manner, you chuckled again. 

"I assume you liked your gift?"

"I love it, almost as much as I love you."


	6. Family Unit

14th February 1993

"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again," You listened as Madam Pomfrey explained to you while you stared at the body of Justin Finch-Fletchley. "And after that, it won't be long before we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have your beloved student back in no time." 

You turned to her this time, giving a small smile. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

She granted you a few minutes to visit the petrified students every once in a while, and today, among all days, you felt inclined to visit them. _Must be lonely spending Valentine's Day all by themselves, in this state,_ you thought, even though you knew they were far from aware it was even Valentine's Day. But to everybody else in the castle, it could not have been more clear. Lockhart had suggested a frivolously _loud_ way to celebrate Valentine's Day, as a form of a morale-booster. The walls were splashed with shades of bright, obnoxious pink, with lurid flowers everywhere, one even nearly making you trip once. When you entered the Great Hall for breakfast after dropping off another _Get Well Soon_ card for the petrified students, you almost felt like you entered a cliche teenage girl's dream bedroom. Worse still, Lockhart had apparently taken the liberty to dress himself in pink robes, much to your amusement. 

Settling yourself between him and Severus, you noticed the steadily growing stack of cards on your seat again. It was no different from the previous year, except for one rather striking card that stood out like a sore thumb. It was in a large pink envelope, but you did not even remember making envelopes accessible to the students. You decided to keep it for later, opening it with Severus, but Lockhart had once again moved one step ahead, picking it up for you. 

"Ah, Professor Pretty, as you can see, this card is _my gift_ to you. It stands out, doesn't it? If you will, please open it in private, I don't want any of the students hear seeing you blushing, that liberty should only be for me." He was awfully haughty, proud of himself, even. 

"No problem," you replied, but Severus could be seen sneering at the side. _Only for you to see, yeah right. She's going to be opening your letter with me, anyway._ Furthermore, Lockhart even encouraged Severus to demonstrate making a love potion, and although you found it a little endearing, he looked like he was ready to force-feed poison to whoever tried to ask him to do so. 

Before the first lesson of the day, though, you had pulled him into a supply closet, giving him a quick kiss before sending him on his way. He usually did not like displaying your relationship in public, preferring to have you all to himself between the four walls of your rooms, but seeing as he seemed green with envy through all the flirting Lockhart put you through during breakfast, you felt the need to remind him that he was the only one for you. Lockhart stood no chance. 

"Wipe that sneer off your face, my love. You'll scare the first years."

"They _should_ be scared of me, they're first years."

You chuckled against his cheek as you pressed your lips one final time against his skin. "Be kind, Severus. You have your quill to remind you of that as well."

The idea of the dwarves delivering messages was definitely not a good one, because your classes had been interrupted so many times over the span of the day, you felt as if the next dwarf that walked in was going to be the first creature you hex in Hogwarts. Rolling your eyes as one of the dwarves came in again, this time reading out a message for a Hufflepuff prefect, you checked the time to realise that you only managed to cover half of the content you planned to cover in the span of your period. 

It was made even worse when you were trying to return to your office before your next class to grab some forgotten items, and discovering the hallway being fully blocked. There seemed to be a standoff in the middle of the crowd, and you saw the pair that was at the center of attention. _Why does it always have to be those two that I have to deal with?_

Malfoy had apparently grabbed a book of Harry's and was taunting him with it. The Gryffindor Prefect had attempted to ask for it back, defending Harry, but Malfoy refused. You were just about to step in to dissolve the crowd, when Harry lost his temper, shouting _Expelliarmus_ , with his wand drawn. 

The book flew out of Malfoy's hands, and appalled, you immediately stepped forward, not sure if you wanted to smack Harry or Draco more. 

"Five points from Gryffindor and Slytherin each! Malfoy, stop taunting Harry, and Harry, what made you think repeating Professor Snape's spell right at Draco Malfoy, when the both of you are not even duelling, the right thing to do?" You scolded, but the boys were still glaring murderously at each other. "Did neither of you hear me? Get out of my sight before I take away another twenty points!"

"Professor Snape's just going to give it right back to us when he finds out. He knows I'm right," The blond boy retorted, before beginning to walk away. 

"Although, Ravenclaw might have a few points added as well, with what he's going to do to her tonight," A fifth year added, snickering as he walked past. He was nearly out of earshot, and he must have thought you would not be able to hear it as well, seeing that he was still turned to his friend. 

"That's it. Thirty points from Slytherin!"

2nd April 1993

Harry knocked on your room for the second time this week. He had a fondness for only coming to you at night, when both of his best friends were asleep and he could avoid suspicion from anyone else. Luckily, Severus was busy tonight, preparing practice exam papers for the NEWTs in the privacy of his office. You had agreed to go over to his room once he was done, so you were basically free until then. 

Inviting the boy to your office, you had once again prepared him tea, paired with a lemon cake this time. He preferred chocolate cake, as you grew to knew from the near-weekly visits he paid, but you had recently run out. Reminding yourself to purchase more once you made the trip to Hogsmeade for the weekend, you settled in front of him, prepared to hear out his usual thoughts. 

"Everything alright, Harry?" You liked to check in with him, ensuring that he was staying on top of his schoolwork, and balancing practising Quidditch on the side as well. 

"Yeah, same as last time," he replied, through a mouthful of cake. "Though, we've got to start picking our subjects for the next year. I was wondering if you'd help me. Ron's got Percy to advise him, Neville's got his whole family, and Hermione...well, it's no use asking her. She's taking up everything. You don't have to, I can go to Percy as well, but-"

"I'd be happy to, Harry. Let's have a look." He passed you the list of subjects to choose from, and you scanned through them quickly. 

"Ah, how about we start with the subjects you _don't like_ first? That way we could narrow it down to be more specific."

"I don't like Potions, at all," Harry mumbled, and you laughed. 

"You can't drop Potions, silly, you've got to stick with your old subjects." He groaned, the thought of Severus teaching him for another five years a reminder he would definitely not like to have. 

"How does Arithmancy sound? Are you good with charts and numbers? I remember particularly enjoying this one." You pulled him back to reality, and he shook his head, knowing he would not have the strength to handle such a subject. "Alright, that's off then. See, that's easy, isn't it? How about Care of Magical Creatures? That sounds fun."

And so you continued, with Harry in the armchair beside yours, peering over the list you had in your hands. The both of you spent the better part of the night deciding the subjects he would take, and by the time Severus had finished his papers, you were still absorbed in the list. You were never late, so he was a little unnerved. Walking over to your room, he felt his heart jump a little at the sight of you and Harry together. 

He did not know how to feel, to be honest. Harry was practically leaning over your shoulder, eyes curious, while you talked animatedly, advising him on which subjects were _fun_ , or _not worth taking_ , which he giggled to. Severus was always reminded of Lily whenever he saw the boy, his eyes exactly the same as hers. It was part of the reason he detested Harry so much, he was the walking reminder of what he could have had. But right then, with the sight of you and him, almost resembling a _mother and son_ , Severus could not explain for the tugging in his heart. The person he loved, and the son of the person he used to love. It sent his heart through a rollercoaster loop. In any other case, Severus would have yelled for the boy to get out, to take away his house points for interrupting you this late into the night, and for making him _share_ you, which he definitely was not fond of, but he did nothing of the sort. 

He shut the door then, not wanting to disturb you. Returning to his room to patiently wait, Severus relished in the soft heartbeat he felt on his ring, and he reminded himself once more, that Lily was gone. You were there, you were his, and he needed to cherish that fact. Perhaps all the pain he had been through when he lost Lily, was leading him up to something better, you coming into his life. He loved her, but now, he loves you, and nothing could change his love for you. 

"Sev? Are you asleep? I'm here. I was a little caught up earlier, I'm sorry." Severus could hear you whisper beside him, and he realised that he had fallen asleep on his armchair while waiting. It was later in the night, and although you felt guilty for making him wait so long, you were happy that Harry had decided on his subjects, thanks to your help. The boy had a bright future, you knew, and you wanted him to be able to rise to his full potential. You helped the potions professor up to stand, before moving his sleepy figure to his bed, where you two fell asleep listening to each other's heartbeats once again. Severus could remember the beautiful shade of your eyes just before he shut his own, and he knew then. Lily always had a spot in his heart, but you had taken up the huge majority of it, with how much he loved you.

7th April 1993

The weather was perfect for Quidditch. The sky clear, the wind not too strong to sway the brooms and balls, and the atmosphere in the stadium could not have been more exciting. The Gryffindors were going against the Hufflepuffs, and Harry was telling you about it excitedly when you passed him on your way back to your quarters the previous night. 

You were beside Severus then, hidden in the back of the stands. He had his hand held over yours, since nobody could possibly see them intertwined. As an extra precaution, he had covered them with part of his robes as well. Preparing to cheer for the teams as Madam Hooch moved towards the captains, you were taken aback when she was interrupted by none other than Minerva, who was marching into the field with a megaphone in her hands.

"The match has been cancelled. All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where..." She continued, but you did not need the feeling of Severus gripping your hand tighter to know that something had gone very, very wrong. There was no reason for Minerva to call off a Quidditch match, especially since her own house was playing that day, so whatever it was that made her do so, must have been serious. 

Of course, it was all due to the heir of Slytherin claiming another two victims, and this time, it was Hermione and one of your _Ravenclaws_.


	7. Lucius Malfoy

7th April 1993

There was a flurry of movement between the stadiums and the towers, with robes in shades of red, yellow, blue and green the only colours you could see for a while. You weaved in and out of the crowd seamlessly, wanting to get in front of the line. _Penelope Clearwater_ , your prefect, as Minerva had told you, had been the latest victim. That had been enough to get your heart pounding, so far, the attacks had only been confined to the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, but for the heir to attack a Ravenclaw and a _prefect_ , at that, was cause for worry. 

"Shame, we would've won, today, I was sure of it!" You could hear Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, grumble as you pushed past him. _If only he knew._

You were greeted by the sight of Harry and Ron crouched over Hermione as well when you entered. Steeling yourself, you put on a calm face as you approached, giving Hermione only a glance before you went to Penelope. Her eyes were still, glassy, almost as if the life had been drained out of them. And to think that you had just spoken to her the previous night, mostly about trivial matters, and now there she lay, absolutely petrified. Holding her hand softly, you were intending to stay longer, but Minerva had advised you to help Flitwick out in disseminating the information she had given, since the news of a Ravenclaw getting attacked may disturb more students than the charms professor could handle. 

"Now please, I know this situation is unfamiliar and scary, but you _have to_ follow these rules. It is for your own good. And don't try sneaking out, please, stick to the groups when we move in between classes," you added on when Flitwick finished his instructions, still looking slightly pale. The news of Penelope Clearwater had spread throughout the whole common room, and Flitwick himself was devastated by the news. You reached out to place an arm on his shoulder, trying to comfort him then. The students themselves were a little worried, but no one could deny that everybody knew what it meant right then. _Only the Slytherins were left unscathed._ There were murmurs on the Ravenclaws agreeing to stick closer to the Slytherins during lesson times for safety, with some even suggesting to doing an internal investigation themselves when you left, and you dismissed their plans quickly. 

Later on in the night, as you finished ensuring that all the Ravenclaws were accounted for and in bed for the night, you bumped into Severus in one of the hallways. Peeves had flew past, playfully calling out _A Lover's Reunion!_ as he disappeared, but Severus paid him no mind, glad that he could finally see you again. 

"Are all your Slytherins feeling alright?" You checked in with him, taking a spot to stand in front of him, the both of you blocked by a giant column in the hall. 

"They should be just well. Considering...they are the only ones left, you know," Severus seemed ashamed at the fact. "And you? Your Ravenclaws?"

"They're doing fine, well, as fine as they can be. Which reminds me-"

"Wait, I hear something." Severus stopped you, and craning your neck to listen more closely, you could hear the rustle of the winds from outside, but nothing more. Severus wanted to listen for longer, absolutely sure he heard the yelp of a certain ginger-haired Weasley boy, but you had forced him to face you again. 

"Severus, you must know something. About the Slytherins, and why they haven't been attacked. I don't want anymore of my Ravenclaws falling victim to...whatever the heir of Slytherin is planning again." You needed him to be honest with you, your worry taking over your body. He was the Head of Slytherin, so he _must_ know something, right?

But instead, he sighed, shaking his head. "If I knew, I would have told you and Dumbledore the first chance I got. But..." he trailed off, considering on whether or not you should know the unsavoury fact he learned before. "The last time the Chamber was opened, many believed it was Hagrid that had done it."

"Hagrid?!"

He nodded, the fact mind-blowing to him as well. "He was expelled for it, but Dumbledore kept him around, I guess. I still don't think it was him, though. He is the last person I would think of when someone mentions the heir of Slytherin. No matter, I saw Cornelius Fudge with Dumbledore earlier, they must think it's him that's been doing it again. I-"

"They're taking him away? Severus, we have to do something! Hagrid's innocent, you know it!"

He raised his eyebrow, wondering since when did you have so much empathy for the gamekeeper. As much as he wanted to believe Hagrid was innocent, his past was against him. "He's got a record. There's nothing you and I can do but wait it out until the heir's been caught. Don't be brave, (y/n), be blind. It's how we are best going to get through this. "

You were horrified by what Severus had just said. _Him, of all people!_ How could he stand there and watch, as the Hogwarts gamekeeper gets taken away to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit, and still be able to sleep at night? _He knew, but he did not tell me._ It was true, you were never particularly close to Hagrid, only seeing him briefly when he helped to gather ingredients and creatures for your classes, but the conversations you exchanged with him had been pleasant, and you knew he was a good wizard, never intending to hurt anyone or anything. And seeing Severus not want to stand up for him, hit you with a surge of rage. 

"H-how could you! This is Hagrid, we're talking about! He's one of us, Sev."

"And he may be guilty, what is your point? What are you going to do, anyway? It's your word against Fudge's, and you know your word is as good as none when it's against his."

"But still-" You were cut off by the sound of a cane repeatedly hitting a metal bar by the end of the hallway, attracting both your attention. But when you laid eyes on the man the cane belonged to, you felt your heart drop to your stomach. 

Standing there, with his long blond hair and cold, grey eyes, was Lucius Malfoy. He was grinning wickedly at the both of you, and apparently, Severus knew of him as well, because he visibly stiffened and moved to block you from his view. 

"Well, well, if it isn't a lover's quarrel. Is _this_ who you told me about, Severus? Your little girlfriend? My, she's pretty, isn't she? You got yourself a good one, _Sev._ " You wanted to hurl at the use of your nickname for Severus coming out from his mouth, but you stood rooted to the spot, frozen in fear. _It is him, oh Merlin, it is him. He's going to tell Severus everything, he's going to expose my family to him._

Lucius clicked his tongue, before craning his head to properly look at you. Severus tried to block you further, but Lucius had already recognised who you were. "Miss (l/n), I've heard all about you, you know. Pleasure to finally meet you, (y/n)."

He outstretched his hand for you to shake, but his words were dripping with venom. Severus looked back and forth between the both of you, puzzled. He distinctly remembered to omit your name in the one time he spoke to Lucius, so how did he know of it?

"Incredibly rude, (y/n), for you not to shake my hand. Although, it is not surprising, coming from someone like you. " You were once again reminded of how much he knew of you, but you knowing nothing of him. "I have other matters to attend to, so, stay safe, alright? The both of you look incredibly _cute_ , together. And when the monster comes to take your girlfriend home, to where she belongs, with us Slytherins, Severus, send it my regards."

He walked off, then, still hitting his cane on a pole every few seconds to warn anyone nearby that he was near. The whole interaction had only lasted for a few minutes, but you already felt like fainting. _Lucius Malfoy knows. He knows._

Severus was more confused than ever. How did you and Lucius Malfoy know each other? Why did you seem so afraid of him? Did you know he and Severus used to be friends? A million questions were clouding his mind. He turned to you, wanting to ask you, but you were gone from his sight.


	8. Legilimens

7th April 1993

You were running, then, trying to catch up with Lucius Malfoy. You needed him to keep his mouth shut, for your sake and Severus', especially in a time like now. What was worse, Lucius _knew_ the state of your parents, and although you so badly wanted to know it as well, it was not your primary focus then. You would tell Severus when the time came. Turning the corner which you saw him disappear to, you were suddenly greeted with darkness, the blond man seemingly disappearing into thin air. 

Panting then, you knew you had to decide on your options. Explaining everything to Severus was a big no, because _what if he did not want to associate with you anymore?_ Your parents were Death Eaters, horrible people, and you were pretty sure had it not been for The Dark Lord's demise, they would have still been Death Eaters now. Severus would be getting himself involved with the daughter of _criminals_ , and for his own safety, it was best that he did not know of your parents, in case they too, would try to do something to him. And the last thing you ever wanted was Severus hurt because of you. But on the other hand, lying to him would...yeah, you definitely had to lie to him. He would feel hurt for a while, but it would ultimately be for his own good. But right then, you savoured the moment where you did not have to deal with him for a while, because ignoring him would never work, he could always knock your walls down, he knew. 

There were quick footsteps rounding the corner then, and you instantly knew it was him. He walked fast, silent, but you grew to be able to listen to his faint footsteps and recognising the pace they were usually in. Severus rounded the corner, and upon seeing you, he felt all the questions come straight back to him. 

"Where did you go? I was looking for-"

"Lucius Malfoy frequently visited my father's shop. He know...he knows who I am from there. My parents were not the nicest people, and he automatically assumed I would be the same. Does that answer your question, Severus?" You were quick to reply, answering him before he could even voice out his thoughts. If you were going to make this believable, you needed him to believe it from the start. 

"Then why did you go running after him?" Severus could not deny, he had felt the ugly emotion of jealousy bubble within when he saw that you and Lucius knew each other already. And if it were not for him reassuring himself constantly that _you_ loved _him_ , he would have already done things he knew you would get angry at him for. 

"I wanted to know how my parents were doing." Somehow, Severus did not believe it to be true. You had been telling him half-truths. And perhaps it had been an ugly habit of his, something he had failed to get rid of in the past, but the threat of losing you to someone else, someone he detested even, was too much for him. He lost Lily to James, and he was not about to lose you to Lucius. 

"Why did Lucius say the monster was going to take you home? What did he mean by that?" He pushed further.

"How would I know, Sev? Lucius is-"

"Are you a Muggle-born, (y/n)?" His voice was accusatory, cutting. At this, your face contorted in disgust. Was he really implying what he was implying? No, he was better than that, you knew. "Answer me!"

"I am not. But what if I was, Severus? Would I have meant any less? Would you be ashamed of me? Break up with me? Because I was a _Mudblood_?" You stepped forward towards him, your own hands ready to beat him up if you had to. _I cannot believe he is acting like this._

The term seemed to jar him back to reality then. _Lily_ , he remembered. He, too, had called her one, and look where that got him. No, he definitely was not accusing you of it, but he needed to know. Because if you were, you stood a higher chance of getting attacked by the monster in the Chamber than any of the other teachers if it came down to it. And he had the sickening feeling that you may be lying, too. So he took out his wand, pointing it at you then. 

"Severus, what are you doing?" You stepped back in disbelief. Was he going to hex you? _Merlin, I need to get out of here,_ you suddenly realised. "Severus, put your wand down."

But he had done it. "Legilimens."

And he wished he could take it all back when he uttered those words out. Because right then, seeing all that you had gone through, made him feel a million times worse than he could ever have thought. He saw you then, seemingly on the night you were leaving for your first trip to Hogwarts. Your parents were by your side, your mother a splitting image of you, your father having the same nose as you do. They hugged and kissed you goodbye, and Severus could not have seen a happier family than he did then. He watched as you entered the Great Hall with the first years, the Sorting Hat placing you in Ravenclaw, and the crestfallen look on your face, which then turned to panic. He watched as you opened your Howler in the privacy of the girls' bathroom the next day, it screaming how ashamed and disappointed your parents were at you, before the tears started streaming down your face. And then he was transported to your first time visiting home for the holidays, and how empty the house was. Your house, which Severus gathered to be almost the size of, if not bigger than, Malfoy Manor. _Her family was wealthy_. You were all alone for so long, and although you had friends in Hogwarts, your holidays were spent very much cooped up in your own room, studying, and practising Quidditch alone in your field outside. In all the years that he saw through your memories, he never once again saw your parents after your first train ride on the Hogwarts Express. And he was wondering why so, when he saw them again. 

It was the holidays leading up to your third year. You made eye contact with your parents as they seemed to be packing something hurriedly, leaving the house in a rush. Upon a closer look, Severus could hear himself gasp. Your parents, who had changed so much since he first saw them, were the very same Death Eaters that he trained and worked under in the time that he, too, was one. Panicking, Severus finally understood everything. _How did I not see it? It was right there._

He wanted to continue on, to see more, but your scream had broke his thoughts. In the moment he used to cast the charm on you, he failed to realise that you were not skilled in Occlumency, and the memories were _hurting_ you. He stopped, and watched as you backed into a wall, your arms over your head. Rushing over to you, he tried to pull you into his arms, but you flinched, stepping back from him in fear. 

"Please, get away from me." The man that you genuinely grew to know and love, was now _scaring_ you. You would never expect him to treat you so dirtily like that, performing _Legilimens_ of all spells. He had breached the ultimate form of trust, and for what? To simply see if you were lying about being a Muggle-born?

"(y/n), I didn't mean to-"

"Please, get back! You're scaring me, Severus." You started to feel hot tears brim in your eyes, and upon hearing those words, Severus felt his heart physically cracking. Of all the things he had done to you, this, by far, was the worst. It was a spur in the moment decision, but he could not take it back. He just performed Legilimency on you, for crying out loud, a highly unethical spell. 

"(y/n), I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I-"

"I believe she asked you to _get back_ , Severus." It was Minerva's voice that interrupted him. She had watched the scene unfold, with Severus drawing his wand on you, and she herself, could not _believe_ he just did what he did. She moved between you and him, and roughly pushed him back, daring him to come any closer. She had known him for longer, but she had grown much closer to you, and if it came down to it, she knew she was right in picking your side. He wanted to explain, to tell her that he did not mean to do it, but she seemed intent on making him leave. And right then, he knew, nothing was going to get to you or her, so he had to try again another day. 

His eyes filling with regret, he turned around, but not before shooting you one last look. Your eyes were fearful, your breaths heavy as you made eye contact with him. It sent another stab through his heart, seeing you in that way. Severus could only hope that you would forgive him.

He was a good man, with good intentions, but he made a mistake. Letting his past cloud his judgement again, he felt like the old Severus. The bitter, young one, faced with so much rejection and cruelty that life had dealt him with, who joined The Dark Lord in wanting to _cleanse_ the wizarding world. And he hated himself so much for it, he thought, as he lay in his bed all alone that night, missing your warmth beside him.

Severus hurt the one he loved, once again. 

10th April 1993

It had been three days. Three days since Severus last saw you, since you last spoke to him, since he last fell asleep listening to your heartbeat. He berated himself day and night for what he did, but nothing could change the fact that you must have _hated_ him for what he did then. He had tried visiting your room, but Minerva seemed to have taken up residency inside, because it was her that opened the door every single time, and it was her that would shut the door right back in his face every single time. _Great, now had he not only lost himself his girlfriend, he lost one of his oldest and closest friends as well_.

To make things impossibly worse, Dumbledore had been suspended, so the whole castle was even more terrified than before. There had been a consideration between him and Minerva on who was to be the temporary Headmaster until Dumbledore was back, but Severus immediately drew his name out of the picking, in fear of what Minerva would do to him.

Speaking of the Head of Gryffindor, she had assigned herself to become your personal bodyguard from then on, glaring at Severus when he even tried to _look_ at you during mealtimes, seating the both of you far, far away from him. He was a little annoyed by her, missing out on the chance to explain himself to you, but there was nothing he could do. Nobody dared mess with Minerva and survived at the end of it.

15th April 1993

Three days bled into more than a week. Severus was getting frustrated, he needed to see you. Even being apart from you for a week was killing him, and sitting in his office chair then, in front of the stack of papers he had ruthlessly marked, he fingered his ring. The heartbeat was still there, and these days, it had been Severus' only motivation to get by. _Sensing you were there when you weren't_ , Severus knew Ravenclaw had been the perfect fit for you. The Sorting Hat never made a mistake, no, you were too kind, too good for Slytherin. And if you had been, he winced at the thought of your parents definitely dragging you in to become a Death Eater as well. They were the kind of people to do that. He knew, what it was like being in your position, his father after all, was abusive, and contributed to much of his childhood trauma. Coupled that with the constant bullying from the Marauders, it was not a surprise when Severus snapped one day and joined the Death Eaters as well. 

Giving his ring a final swipe, he stood up, deciding that he needed to talk to you, explain things, once and for all. You may never forgive him, he had to accept that, but you needed to know that he did not mean to accuse you of being a _Mudblood_ , that he was only trying to look out for you. It was one in the morning. Usually Minerva fell asleep at eleven, so he hoped that you would be alone inside.

Inside, you shuffled to open the door, thinking that Minerva had returned with the book you requested to borrow from her. As your hands rested on the doorknob, however, you were stopped. There were two voices outside. 

"Get out! She doesn't want to see you. And frankly, Severus, how _dare_ you ask for her forgiveness when you did what you did?" You recognised that to be Minerva's. 

"I _have_ to see her. I need to explain to her something."

"Well, you can do it through me. I'd be happy to relay your message, but you are not seeing that girl. "

"Please, Minerva, it's about-"

"I don't care! You hurt her, and she may tell me all the _nice things_ about you and how you never meant to do it and-" Minerva stopped to what you presume shake her head unbelievably. "-And how she was ready to forgive you, but I refuse to let her do that! You manipulated her, and you know it!"

 _She's ready to forgive me?_ Severus felt a wave of guilt wash over him once again. He doesn't deserve you, he really doesn't.

Just then, the door opened with a soft click, and Severus felt his breath hitch. Even after all this time, although it was two in the morning and the three of you have had a long day of teaching that day, Severus could not believe someone could still look as good as you did. Your hair cascading down your shoulders, you dressed in a large T-shirt that made you look _tiny_ , Severus felt his heart skip a beat even after all this time. Minerva moved to shut the door again, but you made eye contact with him, and he saw something behind those eyes. 

"Minerva, I think I'll be alright for the night. Thank you," your voice raspy. She shot Severus a glare once again, mouthing very, very unkind words that made you crack a small grin. _Oh, I love her,_ you thought as you watched her back away slowly. 

Severus did not know what to do then, the both of you alone. Was he still allowed to touch you? Kiss you? He did not know where he stood, and all he wanted right then was settle into bed with you, his chin resting on the top of your head, your breathing even against his chest. He just wanted to forget it all, and go back to how things were with you. 

"Come in, Severus."


	9. No Holds Barred

15th April 1993

Severus walked in, the room around him all too familiar. The smell of you, all around him, was overwhelming. He missed you so, so much. 

You sat in front of him on your bed, and he made do with the armchair, not wanting to overstep boundaries. That had been the cause for your strife with him, after all. You looked at him then, your eyes carrying so many emotions, none of which he could place. He could easily read through them, of course, but he dared not to. Instead, his jaw clenched, ready for whatever curses and insults you were going to throw at him, for hurting you like that. He would take it all, if it meant you got to hear him out. 

He spoke first. "I never meant to hurt you. You must know," he paused to gauge your reaction, but you were still staring at him. "I...I did that because I was afraid you were lying, for being...a pure-blood. Not that it would have mattered, I know. You are a very strong witch, and you could defend yourself just fine. But I was worried, because the monster goes for all the Muggle-borns first, and I knew it would not dare attack a _teacher_ , but it took down two students at once that time, and what's to say it hasn't gotten bolder? Especially with Dumbledore gone now. B-but what I saw, (y/n), I never meant to invade your privacy like that. I should have known there was a reason that you lied, and I should have respected it. Your parents, they-"

"I forgive you, Severus." You did not allow him to finish, the thought of your parents bringing up old wounds again. He seemed to be surprised at how quickly you blurted it, but you did not care. You knew he meant well, and he did not mean to hurt you, you spent the better part of the last week figuring that out while Minerva ranted to you about him. It had not been easy trying to get over your initial shock that he, out of all people, would do that to you, but you learned to be objective rather quickly, considering things from his point of view. Perhaps being a Ravenclaw was one of your fatal flaws, but you were lying if you said it had not helped you considerably. 

"No, you don't understand, they were-"

"Severus, I don't care. Can we not talk about them, please?"

"They were my mentors, when I was a Death Eater myself, (y/n)." That seemed to shut you up. Looking incredulously at him, the shock settled in slowly at what you just heard. _Severus had been a Death Eater._ Great, it seemed like everyone you grew to know and love in this world was out to hurt you, and being a Death Eater was part and parcel of it. Horrified, you stood up, trying to distract yourself from the fact that your _boyfriend_ had been a Death Eater, who was trained under your parents as well. The world was cruel, wasn't it?

Severus watched you pace around the room. He needed to give you space, the words still running through your mind. He was prepared for anything then, for you to break up with him, to never want to see him again, because it was _he_ that was at fault. His past was against him, and there was nothing he could do to change it. 

But then you looked out the window overlooking the castle, not facing him. "You lost weight. When was the last time you ate?"

There it was. Avoiding the subject. Severus knew that was your defence mechanism when it came to things like these. He played along, needing to be careful if he was going to get through this. "I had...an orange today. That doesn't matter, what-"

"Severus. The whole day has passed, and you only had an _orange_?" You turned to him then, your expression seemingly more angry at his poor diet than his poor life choices. "Do you need me to be around you all the time to make sure you eat? You're killing yourself, you know that?"

You waved your wand then, and a plate of porridge, Severus' comfort food, you knew, appeared. _The man was ridiculous, starving himself all day. An orange? What is an orange going to supply him with?_

"(y/n), listen to me-"

"Eat." You seemed very intent on cutting him , as if hearing what he even had to say next was repulsive to you. He said nothing, however, knowing better than to argue with you on that. Picking up the spoon, he began to lift it to his mouth as you watched, your expression still unreadable.

"Your hair looks unkempt, Severus. And-" you leaned forward to adjust his robes, the very same robes that you got him the Christmas prior, and he felt his breath hitch at being so close to you again. "-Your robes are a mess. Have you been taking care of yourself at all? Or were you too busy worrying about me?"

He admitted the latter, and you frowned. "This was exactly why I did not want you to know, Severus. You care too much, you protect me too much. And when you would eventually find out about my parents, I was sure that it would throw you off the edge on how much more you were going to fuss over me, when I _don't need your protection._ I understand that you love me, you want what's best for me, Sev, but if it involved not even caring for yourself while you were at it, then I don't want it. You have to let me take care of myself, too, you know? I-I'm not a fragile thing that breaks anytime a little bit of pressure is applied. You _need_ to look out for yourself, Severus."

"You know I will always fuss over you."

"And you need to stop. Look where _that's_ gotten us." Severus' face flushed red at the remark. He shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do next. In hindsight, you knew you should not have lied to him, and it was partly your fault as well, but it was _him_ that had been the trigger for the final moment. Sighing, you moved to settle on his lap, an indication that you still trusted him, and he nearly jolted in surprise. 

"No more secrets. For both you and I. Is that alright?" You held his face in your hands, and you could visibly see his pupils dilate when he made eye contact with you. "We tell each other everything. Don't you see that our secrets have always been the determining factor of our arguments in the past, Severus? If you and I are going to work out, we need to be able to _trust_ each other."

He nodded, his face resting comfortably in your palms. Even the simple action of feeling you against him again, gave him immense comfort. He had become addicted to the sight, smell and feel of you, and it killed him when you were not around. 

"That is alright. "

"Okay, my first secret that I'm going to tell you," you shifted in his lap, and he moved his hand around your waist, hoping it was alright to touch you again, "is that I found it kind of _cool_ you were a Legilimens, Severus. And...I want you to teach me. Can you do that?"

28th April 1993

At first, Severus had thought that things would be back to normal. That you and him would go right back to the way things were, with him being able to lie on your lap whenever he was frustrated of work, with you threading your fingers through his hair to calm him down, with the both of you sharing smiles and inside jokes between kisses when you could not fall asleep at night, anything, really, that indicated things were like what they were before Severus performed Legilimens on you. But it had been different. And the difference was not you, it was him. You noticed, too. Whenever you put your head on his shoulder after a long day of work, he would stiffen and gently pull himself away. When you invited him to lay with you at night, he would lay as far away from you as possible, most times, at the edge of the bed even. When you leaned forward to kiss him at night, he would often turn away and let you kiss his cheek instead. Now, kisses were rare between the both of you, with you only being able to kiss him when he was tired and could fight you off no more. Initially you had thought that he just needed some time to get used to your quick forgiveness for him, knowing that it was a lot to process. And then you thought that perhaps it had been the new rule of no more secrets allowed between the both of you, but with Severus keeping quiet, well, more quiet than he usually was, for most of the time you spent between you two, it was hard to tell. 

Tonight, however, the silence seemed deafening. The professors were all in the staffroom, discussing upcoming exam matters and whether or not Hogwarts should remain open. There was a consensus that with the attacks now getting more aggressive, it would be best for the school to close for a while, but Minerva and Professor Sprout seemed to disagree. 

"The Mandrakes will be ready any day now! If we wait just a little while longer-"

"The students don't have a _little while_ , Sprout," Flitwick cut in, and she sent him a glare. The two had been arguing back and forth for the past fifteen minutes, while the rest of you watched, still unsure on who to support. Lockhart was beside you, still going through all the materials you had planned to test for the exam. Initially, he had only wanted it to be about his achievements and the content he covered in his books, but you argued that it was not only not comprehensive, but misleading as well, and he visibly sulked, as if to argue with you, but when he saw Severus stand behind you then, glowering over him, he did not dare to do so. 

"What is going on with you and Professor Snape, anyway?" He whispered once Severus was out of sight. You looked up from your papers to stare at him, puzzled. "The both of you used to be all over each other, god forbid, Professor McGonagall had to tell me that. Imagine my shock...when I see that he has been _ignoring_ you." 

"He has not. You are imagining things, Professor. And frankly, you should not trust gossip when it comes to Minerva," you replied, but he scoffed. 

"He obviously has, my dear (y/n). Possibly, you are the only one who has not noticed." _Oh, I have noticed, alright._

"So what are you trying to imply, then, Professor Lockhart?"

" _We_ should make him jealous. He knows that I find you quite attractive, and you, you know that he does not like _sharing_ you. If you would kiss me now, you would surely have your man back in your arms by tonight," Lockhart winked at you provocatively, and you immediately shifted away from him. 

"Or I would lose him altogether," you muttered under your breath, your eyes finding Severus' across the room, but he was fixed on Sprout, "Unfortunately, I don't find playing games with Professor Snape a very mature way to get him to talk to me. I am going to have to reject your offer on that one, Professor."

"Your loss, my lips are _so much_ more kissable than his, Professor (l/n)," Lockhart chuckled, before turning away to his mirror to fix his hair again. You were still gazing at Severus, hoping that what Lockhart had said, was really just something stupid he always offhandedly remarked, and not confirming your deepest doubt then. 

He excused himself to the bathrooms for a quick moment, and you got up to follow. He was just about to turn to a quick corner when you blocked his path. 

Severus cocked his head to the sight, a little disappointed that he did not pick up on your footsteps behind him. "Is everything...alright?"

"Why have you been ignoring me?" You sighed, pulling him to the side, where you could lean comfortably against the wall. Your injury had been hurting a little more than usual tonight. 

"Do I look like I have been ignoring you, love?" He knew you could not prove it. 

"Yes! Well, no, not really, but yes." Even you knew you did not sound convincing. "Sev, you know what I mean, don't play with me like this. I'm begging you now."

"I am not playing with you. "

"Yes you are! You think I don't notice it, you ignoring me when I call for you to come hold me in bed, you turning away when I try to kiss you, y-you not wanting to be _near_ me, even, but I do, Severus. You know I do. And was it something I did or somewhere I went wrong, because I haven't got a clue and you're not telling me anything!" 

The potions professor could not make eye contact with you. In the night, your eyes seemed to glow even more than in the day, and under the glow of the moonlight streaming in right then, you looked devastatingly beautiful. All he wanted to do was kiss you, pull you in to his arms and never let you go, and make sure that you never felt uncertain with him ever again, but he could not do that. He could not trust himself enough. "I do no such thing."

"Sev," you pleaded, "What ever happened to _no more secrets_?"

His eyes found yours then, and he gulped. "I...I cannot trust myself around you. You said it yourself, (y/n), that I _scared_ and hurt you. I haven't got much experience, but I know those two feelings should not be invoked by someone you love. Trust me, all I want is for things to go back to the way they were, but it's hard to do so...with you," suddenly, he felt a lump in his throat, as if the words he wanted to say was physically hurting him, "I don't want to hurt you again."

Your lips parted, as if to say something, but all you could see then was how _broken_ the man before you looked. He seemed like he was caving in on himself, and his eyes were hiding worlds of emotions you could no longer place. You studied him from the bottom of his shoes to the top of his head, and you felt your heart break as you landed on his eyes again. They were tearing then, and you realised, you had never seen him cry before. 

"Oh, Sev," your arms flew to envelop him, pulling him closer to you. He initially tried to fight you off, to get you to stop touching him, but you clung on, not wanting to let him go. Hugging him as tight as you could, with your head on his chest, you wished you could take all his pain away. He was hurting himself, because of you. "We are always going to hurt each other, someway, somehow. It's the way the world works, sweetheart. But that does not mean that the hurt is going to last forever. You, you always imagine my happiness is somewhere other than with you, but you are so deeply wrong, Severus. I am only happy when I am with you, can't you see that?"

You turned to kiss him on the cheek softly, and his head found comfort in the crook of your neck. His tears were still running, and you threaded your fingers through his hair slowly. "It is not weak to cry too, you know? You hold yourself back so much for the things you deserve, that one day, you start to believe you don't deserve these things too. And that is untrue, Severus, you deserve everything. You deserve happiness, you deserve love. And I want to give you that, but in order for me to give that to you, you need to let me _love_ you. Can you do that for me?"

He didn't answer. For a long while, the both of you remained in that position, you cradling his head in your hands, him finding comfort in the warmth of your body as you held him. He had missed you, so much, and even being able to hear you say that you still loved him, felt wrong, but he wanted to try. He wanted to try to accept the love you wanted to give. 

He looked up at you, and you smiled comfortingly at him, your eyes reminding him of the warmth of summer, something he would never admit loving. There were a lot of things he would never like to admit, but to admit of not loving you, that, would be the biggest mistake he would ever make. So Severus did what he felt would be right, and he leaned forward to kiss you. 

Your laughter and sigh of happiness would be something he would have etched into his mind all the time.


	10. With Pleasure

28th April 1993

Abandoning the rest of the meeting, Severus carried you to his office then. Ignoring your protests of any of the professors coming out of the staffroom could see the both of you, and that abandoning the meeting would mean that the rest of the staff would know what the two of you were up to, he simply shut you up with his lips as he unlocked the door to his office.

"Sev! They're going to know!"

"Let them. Sprout and Flitwick are still arguing, Lockhart is too absorbed with himself, and Minerva would understand." He began to take off your robes, and something in you shifted. This was the opportunity to show him, of what you meant earlier. His tears had dried, his eyes now filled with a different emotion. Hunger. 

You knew the answer to Severus' problems was not sex, but him being more of an actions than words man, meant that you had to prove your point in a different way. You broke off from his hungry kisses for a moment, and leaned against his office desk. He took a deep breath as he watched you undress, painfully taking off each piece of clothing you had at an agonisingly slow pace. 

"What I said, earlier, Severus, about us always going to hurt each other, sometimes...that hurt can be for good."

He raised his eyebrows, not understanding. Instead, now only in your underwear, you moved towards him, pushing him to sit on his chair as you settled on his lap. His hands roamed around your cold skin, and you moaned as the warmth of his fingers felt like fire against your flesh. It was now or never. 

Grabbing his hands in yours, you swallowed for a moment. Steeling your nerves, you finally moved his hands slowly upwards, to the base of your throat. You then splayed out his fingers, and encouraged them to wrap around your neck. His eyes widened, and although he did not apply pressure at all, the look of lust on your face already made him want to combust. 

"Choke me, Severus. Use me, hurt me, I don't care. I know you want it, and if...if your days are bad and the doubt and pain becomes too much for you, you...you should use me. Use me to vent out your anger, your frustrations, your fears. I will always be here, so don't run. Don't run from me when things get tough, instead, take it out on me. Can you do that?"

Something in the black-haired man's eyes shifted. It was as if his whole body had been taken over by something primal, something predatory as he slowly gripped your throat harder, and he watched as your eyes rolled to the back of your head. You need not say more, because in the next moment, you were thrown over his desk, and he had growled, a deep, guttural growl in your ear. 

"With pleasure." 

23rd May 1993

You were walking back to your quarters one afternoon when you felt something bump into you on your right. Stopping to take out your wand, you were cautious then, especially with what Lucius Malfoy had said before. Straining to listen to the sound of any more movement, you nearly jumped when Harry and Ron suddenly appeared, throwing behind what made them invisible to the floor. You glanced at it and noticed it was an invisibility cloak, an extremely rare item that most wizards would not have the luxury of owning in their lifetime. 

"Harry! Ron! You scared me," you scolded, reaching out to grab the invisibility cloak, and you watched as your hands disappeared under it. 

"Sorry Professor. I-I needed to speak to you." Harry looked around, looking to see if anyone else was within view. 

"You should not be wandering around all by yourselves. Where are the rest of your classmates? Do you know how dangerous it is to be lurking around especially at a time like this, boys? The rules are implemented for a reason!" Sometimes, you thought that your relationship with them had been cause for overstepping boundaries, one of them being breaking the rules as they pleased. 

Gripping Ron's shoulder, you were just about to lead him back to the Gryffindor tower when Harry stopped you. "It's important!"

"Whatever it is, you can tell me later, Harry. You have exams to study for, and you are skipping a class if my assumptions are correct. If anyone else were to see us like this, not only would you get in trouble, I, too, would be reprimanded for not taking away your House points. And you _know_ they deserve to be-"

"The monster, it's a Basilisk! Hermione's got it all figured out, it travels through the pipes, and...and I could hear it when it did, because I speak Parseltongue, remember? At the duelling club, that was when I found out I did!" He tried to speak as fast as he could to tell you everything, but he was running out of breath. "A-and the Basilisk kills whoever looks at it straight in the eye! Nobody's died yet because everyone who has seen it has-"

"Harry!" You yelled at him, your eyes burning into his. Truth be told, you had remembered glossing through everything he had just mentioned when you were poring over the library books in the restricted section, but you had not expected it would be _that_. You were a little disappointed that you had not considered it would be the Basilisk, of all monsters. He cowered in fear as you marched up to him then, and you were just about to interrogate him, to ensure that what he had said was true, when the Minerva's voice rang aloud in the castle. 

"Go. Get out of here, both of you." You said, giving them one last look, before running to the staffroom. Whatever it was, it must have been serious, with Minerva's voice laced with concern as it amplified throughout the castle the further you ran. 

Severus met you outside, and he looked you over before the both of you entered. As you walked in front of him, he glanced over the fading dark blue marks from the back of your neck, feeling a little guilty that they had not healed properly, even though his last rough session with you had been a few days ago. But at the same time, he felt something stir in him as well, the encounter bringing him back memories that turned him on instantly. You screaming his name as the both of you came, him having to grip you harder to prevent himself from losing it, and the scratches and bruises that had formed on your body the morning after being a reminder of the experience the previous night. He would never have expected that him, of all people, could vent out his feelings through your body. 

Steeling himself back to reality, he made his way over beside you, a little puzzled on why Minerva had called on a meeting this early in the day. 

"It has happened. A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the chamber itself," she told the silent staffroom as she entered, and he could feel your hand grip his impossibly tightly. Gasps and murmurs could be heard all over the room, and Severus himself was a little thrown off, though his face would never show it. 

"How can you be sure?" He voiced out, and Minerva, who had gone pale, explained it in great detail to the staff. _Ginny Weasley_ , why her, of all people? You knew the Weasleys were a pure-blood family, and although they were not in Slytherin, you wondered why it had to be her, not anybody else. The news was devastating, with Flitwick bursting into tears beside you, and you reached out to rub over his back slowly. 

"We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," Minerva looked like she was going to cry, "This is the end of Hogwarts."

You were just about to stand to go over to her, when the staffroom door banged open. It was Lockhart, and his expression had been the _opposite_ of everyone else's in the room. He was beaming, that smile of his completely oblivious to the mood in the room. You wanted so badly to knock his teeth out of his mouth right then. 

Apparently, so did everyone else. The staff ganged up on him, everyone finally sick of him boasting every single day of him knowing where the Chamber of Secrets was, and what was inside it, but what had angered you the most, was how he had been so sure that it was Hagrid that had opened the chamber again. Every time he spoke of it, Severus had to hold you back from swinging at him. 

But right then, his expression had changed greatly when Minerva told him his opportunity for a _free rein_ was there, and he could tackle the monster the very same night. He gulped, and you saw his confidence break in front of your very eyes. So when he turned to leave, an excuse of _preparing for tonight_ tumbling from his lips, everyone knew that he had only been lying about his conquests and achievements. 

At the end of the meeting, Severus had pulled you into his arms, kissing the crown of your hair in front of everyone, but he did not seem to care. _Be safe_ , he said, before he left you with Flitwick to relay the news to the students. He was a little perturbed as well, you could tell, but you assured him that you would be fine anyway, to calm his nerves.

For a house known for its wisdom and ability to stay calm in difficult situations, you felt anything but that when you exited the common rooms with Flitwick. And rightfully so, of course. The first years, who has most of their classes with Ginny, nearly fainted upon hearing the news, and even the older ones were terrified as well. As teachers, you were supposed to calm them down, assure them everything was going to be alright, but you were not even sure of that yourself. 

You wanted to go to Harry and Ron again, to confirm that what they had said was true, because if it was, it would be the thing that could change everything. However, as you searched through the castle later on in the night, they were nowhere to be found. Your worry was starting to grow as you entered the Gryffindor tower for the fifth time tonight, with the Prefect telling you that he _still_ had not seen them return. You warned him of trying to look for them himself, and although he was reluctant, he dared not disobey a teacher. Running through the common areas where both boys could usually be found, you suddenly felt your palms getting sweaty when you realised they were _gone_. 

"(y/n), what are you doing?" You could hear Severus' voice behind you as you opened another broom closet near his classroom. He was just about to find you for the night, when you appeared, completely flustered, beads of perspiration clinging to your forehead, looking for the boys. 

"S-Sev, I can't find them! I was just talking to them, this afternoon, and then M-Minerva called us to the staffroom, and, and-" You were hyperventilating, clearly panicked. 

"Calm down, love, take a deep breath, come on," Severus walked over, holding your hand in his, "Tell me, who is _them_?"

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley! They...they _found out_ about the monster in the Chamber of Secrets. It's a Basilisk, Sev!" 

"They could not have been taken. Wretched boys probably went off to see their friend, Hermione, again," he assured, but you were not convinced.

"I checked the infirmary _thrice_ , Severus. I..." Something dawned on you right then. "...Severus, I have to go. They went to find the Chamber of Secrets, Severus!" 

You moved past him, trying to get to where they could be as fast as you could, getting them to _stop_ their dangerous act, but Severus' strong arms stopped you. 

"You are not going anywhere. And if they have, Lockhart would be there. They will be just fine."

"You and I know that's not true, Severus. Lockhart is probably packing his bags as we speak. And I am their _Defence Against the Dark Arts_ teacher, Severus, if not Lockhart, then it has to be me."

"Minerva was not serious when she said that, you know? You should not have to do this."

"Yes she was! Sev, those boys are reckless, you and I know that. They're going to get themselves _killed_!" You could not believe he was fighting you on this. Ultimately, your jobs as professors in the school meant that you had to look out for the students, and if it came down to it, _protect_ them from whatever danger that was imposed on them. 

"But I cannot risk you getting hurt because of those _boys_. If they were going to go get themselves killed, that is their responsibility. And more so, you _don't even know_ where the Chamber of Secrets is!" He yelled back, getting frustrated that you were not heeding his advice. 

Then it hit you. Of all the places the boys could have gone, _of course_ it had to be there. It was where Filch's cat was first petrified, where the beginning of the end started. You did not even bother to wait if Severus considered following, for you had started running straight towards the out-of-order girls' bathroom.


	11. Everything Happens For A Reason

23rd May 1993

The sky was incredibly dark, darker than it's usual navy hue that settled in the summer seasons of Hogwarts. Severus wondered, as he ran, if it meant something significantly dark was going to settle into Hogwarts as well. You were more than a few steps further from him, and he knew he needed to run faster to catch up to you, to yell at _how ridiculous_ you were being, jumping headfirst into danger. As he ran, he could feel his lungs constricting harder, the putrid summer air making it harder to breathe. It was nearly midnight then, and Severus realised that the later the night got, the more dangerous it would be as well. 

As he nearly missed the last stair landing to the floor where you had stopped, he noticed it was the very same place that the caretaker, Filch's cat was first found. 

"It was here. The Chamber of Secrets is here, Severus, I know it." Your voice filled his thoughts, and he looked at you then, panting. 

"An out-of-order girls' bathroom?" He sounded disbelieving. Instead, you reached out for his wrist, and pulled him closer as you pushed open the door. Sure enough, there were wet footprints on the floor of the bathroom, belonging to three pairs of shoes. One, you could recognise distinctly, were from the tailor-made, designer shoes Lockhart paraded around everywhere with. Severus must have realised it too, because in the next second, he was asking the resident ghost where the sets of footprints went off to. You recognised her from your schooling days, _Moaning Myrtle_ , as your friends would call her. 

"I don't tell my secrets to _boys_ , even worse, professor _boys_!" She sneered, and Severus looked like he was about to hex her, for how annoyed he was. He was aware that a ghost resided in this particular girls' bathroom, but with the myriad of ghosts and spirits wandering around Hogwarts' halls constantly, he never bothered to pay any extra attention to her. 

"You _dare_ defy a Professor?" He stepped forward, but you stopped him. In your experience with her as a Prefect in your schooling days, you knew aggression and threats never worked on her. 

"Myrtle, it's me. (y/n) (l/n). Do you remember me? I was the Ravenclaw Prefect about nine years ago. We...we used to talk in between my classes, right?" You were cautious, not even sure if she remembered you. Myrtle glanced at you warily, unsure if you were one of the meaner girls who would often come in to her stall to play pranks on her, which many have, of course, or one of the nicer ones who would leave her alone after exchanging a few short sentences. 

And then her eyes flashed with recognition. "Eight years ago. Yes, I remember you. You were one of the nicer ones to me, never threw your nasty textbooks at me to see if it would go through, or tried pulling my hair, even though you knew it would be _incredibly fun_." Her voice had a ring of empathy to it. 

"That's right. And I need your help, right now. Can you tell me where they," you pointed towards the set of footprints on the ground, "They went to, Myrtle? _Please_?" 

She huffed, shooting another glare at Severus, as if unrelenting to release the information with _him_ around, so you covered his body with yours, hoping she would come to her senses. And it proved to be effective, because after a moment of grumbling, she finally told you the exact pipe that Harry, Ron and Lockhart had descended upon. It looked to be dark, slimy, and very, very claustrophobic. You could hear Severus mutter in disgust beside you, and you looked at him pleadingly. 

He grunted, and although he was reluctant to go down the pipe itself, he refused to let you go first, which tugged at your heartstrings a little. Following him down, you remembered to thank Moaning Myrtle, but she had gone back to ignoring you. 

As you slid down the last part of the pipe, you felt Severus' arms catch you as the pipe got cut off, and you discovered yourselves to be in a dark stone tunnel. Severus had lit the end of his wand, and he ensured that you were alright, before holding your hand in his and moving forward. 

"Sev, wait," you stopped him. "The Basilisk kills you if you look directly at it. You need to promise me that you are going to close your eyes at any sign of movement, okay? Don't think about me, think about yourself first."

He nodded, and the both of you continued your journey. There were a couple of wet puddles as you walked through, following the footprints, and Severus had to catch you several times as you slipped, which gave him an infinite number of heart attacks. However, as the both of you rounded a corner, a sudden shuffling of footsteps could be heard, and you instinctively covered both yours and Severus' eyes with your hands as you felt a thundering sound crash a few feet away from where you were. Not daring to open your eyes, you held your hand as tight as you could over his as well, afraid of what would happen if you relaxed. 

Severus heard it first. It was the Weasley boy's voice, and he softly pushed your hand away, informing you that the boys were close. You reluctantly pulled them away, and under the dim light of Severus' wand, moved forward, to discover that there had been a part of the tunnel's ceiling that fell through, and Ron was standing beside a knocked-out Lockhart. 

"Ron!" You ran from Severus' side to the boy's, immediately checking if he was injured. He assured you he was fine, but as you lay your eyes on Lockhart's body, you wondered _what the hell_ had happened before you arrived. 

"Professor (l/n)?" It was Harry. Ron gestured that he was on the other side of the rubble, and you felt your heart drop. 

"Harry! Harry, are you alright? Hang on, I'll come to you," you replied, trying to find a crack, a dent, or anywhere that you could slip through to get to him, but you found none. Severus was beside you then, and he, too, seemed a little worried over the boy. He knocked on the rubble a few times with his wand, before turning to you, shaking his head. 

"Harry, it's going to take a while to get you out-"

"It's Ginny, Professor. I can hear her. I _have to go_ ," Harry's voice rang in your ears before you could finish speaking. His voice was shaky, and Ron yelped a little as he heard. 

"No you're not, you-"

"Go on, Potter, try not to get yourself killed." It was Severus who cut you this time. Looking incredulously at him, you felt your fists clench. Instead of backing down, he dragged you away from the mess of rubble, from Ron and Lockhart, and forced you to look at him. "The boy is strong, he can make it. He does not need you to coddle him. He is _The Chosen One_ , (y/n)." 

You were doubtful, but Severus stood firm, and finally, you sighed, agreeing with him. There was nothing left to do, you could only hope for the best for the boy. Moving forward to help Ron start shifting the rocks, you cast a glance at Severus handling an obliviated Lockhart. Suddenly, you were very thankful he was there. 

After the rocks had been shifted and the entrance to go through seemed clear, you realised, it had been no point to pursue Harry even further. He must have used Parseltongue to get through the doors, and without the ability, where you were, were as far as anyone could go. Splitting into two, Severus assured you that he would be fine waiting for the boy, in case anything happened, while you brought Ron and Lockhart up to the castle again. Ron disagreed at first, but with Severus' murderous glare at him and his wand at the ready, he suddenly saw that you were the much better option to be with. 

So, heaving Lockhart's body up the pipe, you began to cast a lightening charm on both you and the ginger-haired boy, lifting straight up to where you came from.

It took nearly all of your strength to drag Lockhart to the infirmary, and although Ron wanted to help out, you insisted for him to get Minerva. When she came running down the steps to the hospital wing, she gasped in shock upon seeing Lockhart's state, but recovered quickly when Ron began telling her of everything that had happened. 

"Severus is still down there. I need to get to him," you said once Minerva was informed, but she seemed insistent on not letting you go. You gave her a look, but she did not budge, going to the extent of blocking your path to the door. 

"You do so much for the man, you take him back quicker than I can say 'Quidditch', you forgive him for the mistakes even Dumbledore would find _hard_ to forgive, (y/n), why do you put him on a pedestal?" You realised she had been meaning to talk to you about this for a long time. Dismissing Ron, you were not eager to get back to the conversation, but the woman was persistent. 

"Because it's _Severus_ , Minerva. He didn't mean it, I know he didn't." You wanted so badly just to get to him, to make sure that he was alright. 

"(y/n)." Minerva was starting to sound like a nagging mother. 

You sighed. "It's because I _feel bad for him_ , alright? He...he's been through so much, and he does not deserve to go through any more pain because of me. He still has his own demons to fight, Minerva, you know that. A-and he's so, so fragile," you did not realise you were pouring your heart out to her, "I love him, and he deserves more than me. Everyone tells me otherwise, but no, he deserves the world, and if all I can give him is a _fraction_ of it, I want to make sure that I give him all that I have. "

"But that does not excuse your emotions and feelings for his. I know you love him, and he tells me he loves you too, (y/n), but you cannot simply wave off his behaviour as part of him. He needs to change, and you may not see it, but you have already changed him so much. You have made him happier than he has ever been in years, you have made him nicer to the students, and you have made him into a better person. But you cannot stop there, (y/n). You practically share a life together with him now, and he needs to see that you are not just his caretaker, you are his equal. And until you learn how to do that, I am not letting you go. Severus is one of the most powerful wizards we have, and he can take care of himself just fine. So, _sit,_ " Minerva ordered, and you engaged her eyes in a heated stare down, but you knew you could never win against her. Backing off, you huffed as you threw yourself on the chair beside Lockhart, his face suddenly a hundred times more punchable than it usually was. 

_God forbid let it be Minerva to be the one to put me in my place._

"Severus should be just fine, dear. You have faith in him, don't you?" 

You were still mad at her, but you refused to act like a child. Making eye contact with her again, you nodded, and she smiled softly, holding your hand in hers. All you could do then, was wait. 

Unfortunately, waiting proved to be a harder chore than you thought. You and Minerva had moved to her office, which was the Headmaster's office, really, and Minerva had just received news that Dumbledore was on his way back. It did little to calm your nerves, what Minerva previously said still reeling in your mind. 

"You really should not meddle in other people's relationships, you know," you quipped. She glanced at you, her expression solemn.

"You have known Severus for barely a year, I have known him since he was a _child_ , (y/n)."

"I knew him when I was a student, too!" 

"Even worse!" Now that you realised it, it did seem like not a very wise thing to say. 

"It's just...now that you've said everything, you are making me _doubt_ my relationship with Severus," you sighed, crossing your arms. You were not sure how to feel then. 

"Severus is...not someone you get to know fast, (y/n), and considering how much you know about him now, you have made remarkable progress. He does not let people in easily, and there are things about him, that if you knew...would change the way you see him. And-"

"Severus used to be a Death Eater," you chipped in, and Minerva nodded along. "And...he was in love with Lily Evans, for so long. And he is not the most perfect person, Minerva, but he tries his hardest. And that should be enough, no?"

Minerva looked like she was about to disagree, but the door opened, and Dumbledore and a ginger-haired lady had walked in. You immediately drew the connection as Ron and Ginny's mother, and you felt a surge of sympathy for her. Your conversation was cut short then, for not long after, Severus entered, with Harry and Ginny following behind him. Harry had a red, angry scar on his left arm, and you recognised it had been healed by none other than phoenix's tears, the mark all too familiar. Under his belt, tucked the school's Sorting Hat and...was that a sword?

It took Harry nearly an hour to explain everything. When he did, however, there was a palpable sense of relief throughout the room. Severus was beside you then, but Minerva's words were still ringing in your ears, and somehow, you found it difficult to face him. He had his hand at the small of your waist, something familiar to him, you knew, but the feeling of warmth that would course through you every time he did so, suddenly felt foreign. You moved away from him a little once it was Dumbledore's turn to speak, and inspected Harry's injuries.

"Do you have anymore injuries?" You asked as he turned to allow you to check for anymore wounds or scratches. Thankfully, there were no more major ones. You held his arm in your hands, and muttered a soft spell, one to allow the ugly scar to disappear quickly and painlessly, and he thanked you once you pulled his sleeves back down.

Unbeknownst to you, however, Severus had been watching the interaction. Once again, his heart pulled at the sight of you and the boy. Harry trusted you and looked at you like a _mother_ , Severus recognised. It was different from how he looked at the other professors, at Minerva, at him, even. You were something special to the boy. He knew it was not an appropriate time to fantasise of a family unit with you, but he could not explain the soaring feeling in his chest whenever he thought of it. Would he be so lucky to start a family with you in the years to come? That is, if he had not scared you away or sent you running the longer you spent with him, of course. A family, Severus could only dream.

It had been a long night, and all Severus wanted to do once you were all dismissed was to feel your body against his, falling asleep to your heartbeat, his favourite sound in the world. But first, he had to get something off his chest, for it had been bugging him for as long as he could remember. 

"(y/n)," he started, his fingers fiddling with themselves and the look on his eyes hesitant. You were sprawled out on his armchair, entirely spent from the day, but you lifted your eyebrows in acknowledgement. "I...have something to say."

Looking up at him, you too, realised, that you had been itching to say whatever Minerva had planted in your mind. "I do too, actually."

"Then you go first." Something told him it was probably the same thing, what you wanted to say. 

"No, you came up with the idea, you go first, Sev."

"Let's not do this, love." He cracked a grin at your childishness, and you laughed in response. 

"Say it together, then?" You proposed, and he nodded, readying himself. What he was about to ask, could change the course of your relationship forever. 

"What do you think about having kids, (y/n)?"

"Do you think we should take a break from each other, Sev?"

You both voiced out at the exact same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oK LET ME EXPLAIN.
> 
> 1) the chamber of secrets is the shortest book in the series itself, therefore, the content in the storyline is also significantly shorter, hence the length of this fic  
> 2) i didn't want to bore u guys on long, draggy chapters, call this a filler, if u will, bc a lot of the things that happened here will set precedence for the prisoner of azkaban  
> 3) i do realise that this did not do as well as 'The Potions Master', so i had to wrap it up quick and not stretch it out too long 
> 
> if u guys are still interested in reading more, i don't mind putting out the prisoner of azkaban fic as well, but seeing that this did not do as well as the previous fic, i am not even sure if anyone would want to read it. 
> 
> do let me know, pls, but thank u for following me through this journey, regardless x 
> 
> i love u all


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